Twitter and the Oscar Pistorius trial

Twitter is an instrument for sharing and communication employed by professional reporters, citizen journalists and everyday users. The platform provides space for everything from the live reporting of breaking events to the discussion of the unfolding of these events. This study explores how South African journalists are challenging and adapting traditional journalistic conventions in their live tweeting of the Oscar Pistorius murder trial. It examines the tweets of five South African journalists covering the trial, focusing especially on the role of the journalist in terms of their commitment to objectivity, accountability as well as their gatekeeping role.