TheLoop21.com

By: Gabrielle N. Simpson (Add to your loop)
Fri, 06/26/2009 - 13:32

Michael Jackson's death has had a major impact on many social media sites.

Social media is responsible for up to the second updates about the life and death of The King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Thursday, June 25, 2009 at 2:50 pm pacific time, TMZ was the first to report the death of legendary pop idol.

The world rushed to Google in hopes of finding “credible” sources confirming the tragedy. Google spokesman, Gabriel Stricker spoke to BBC News about the result of the massive activity.

"It's true that between approximately 2:40 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. pacific time, some Google News users experienced difficulty accessing search results for queries related to Michael Jackson and saw the error page."

According to Twitter co-founder Biz Stone the site saw, "more than double the normal tweets per second the moment the news broke — the biggest increase since the U.S. presidential election." Jackson-related topics on Twitter generated more discussion than the Iran protests or swine flu.

TMZ News manager Mike Walters is conducting interviews with other media outlets to gather information from close friends and family members. Most recently, TMZ was the first to play the 911 telephone call from Jackson’s Holmby Hills home. 

Facebook reported that after Jackson’s death nearly 20 new fans per second joined his group. Amazon.com and iTunes are currently experiencing a surge in sales of Jackson’s music. Music is the universal language responsible for Jackson’s legacy. 

Jackson impacts international culture not through just his music, but all forms of entertainment— even fashion.   Michael Jackson represented love for all. We currently see his influence in the careers of Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, Beyonce, Usher, Ne-Yo, and Chris Brown. All of these artists pay homage to the fact that the King of Pop will never be forgotten or erased.

Photo by Current News Stories

Gabrielle Simpson is currently obtaining a MA in entertainment and sports public relations. Originally from Los Angeles California, she held the position of Editor-In-Chief of the “Tideline” (Palisades Charter High School’s newspaper). As President of the Iona College Television Network (ICTV), Simpson developed and produced weekly programming for the campus’ residential community. With a BA in Television and Video Production and a Film minor, Simpson applied her education as a Production Associate with major television networks gaining firsthand exposure to all aspects of entertainment.

The fans boycotting Michael Jackson's 'This Is It' movie are:

Right, MJ would hate it

Just looking for attention

Wrong, hurting MJ's legacy

I'm not sure