Using Twitter to Collaborate in Hard-Hitting Investigations

Has social media given rise to an army of citizen journalists who are undercutting paid reporters? Or can new technology make it easier to hold powerful organisations to account? Paul Lewis Special Projects Editor at the Guardian reveals how he has used Twitter and other techniques to collaborate in hard-hitting investigations. Using two case studies – the deaths of the newspaper vendor Ian Tomlinson and the Angolan refugee Jimmy Mubenga – he explains how he traced witnesses and sourced material that disproved the official version of events released by the authorities. He also speaks about the hidden dangers and risks involved in utilising social media to report big stories.