The Thread

Some seminal historical events were brought to the attention of people through distinct media channels. Radio brought an audio immediacy to Americans with news of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, while live TV reports funneled the Kennedy assassination directly into homes. More recently, the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing was covered in real time via a vast army of self-empowered social media denizens. Greg Barker's documentary on how social media reacted to the bombing—especially in trying to offer clues and leads on the identities of the culprits—highlights the best and worst of this dramatic shift in how people get their news. Two of the most surprising media sources covering the bombings were the site BuzzFeed, which was previously viewed as something of an entertaining distraction, and Reddit, a hitherto second-tier social media outpost that was overwhelmed with endless updates and a surplus of false leads. While the intentions of the online crowd might have been good, the abrupt explosion of would-be newshounds ultimately resulted in more commotion than results. As a harbinger of where the U.S. media landscape may be heading, The Thread offers a compelling and slightly disturbing preview. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)