Internet reach was a reliable resource during Mumbai terror drama

Washington/Mumbai, Nov.29 : The Internet proved to be a reliable resource during the terror mayhem in Mumbai.

New media allowed the world to look in on a city in crisis and receive real-time information from citizen journalists' as events unfolded, reports CBS.

Before the sights and sounds of the attacks in Mumbai could be televised, cell phones and the Internet were abuzz, both in blogs and with images as the horror unfolded.

"What's important is to get a quick sense of what's happening. One of the first real photographs of the scene was posted by somebody on Flickr," said social networking expert Gaurav Mishra.

Mishra maintained his own blog from the United States while his one-time hometown was under siege.

"People are sharing quick, small pieces of information of what's happening on the ground, helping others who are not linked to what is happening," Mishra said.

Citizen journalists close to the scene were able to text what was happening, while it was happening through micro-blogging sites like Twitter. Google mapped the location of terrorist targets online.

Emergency information was posted on various blogs to help residents and relatives find hospitals and places to donate blood.

Pearl Shah, who lives near Mumbai's Taj Mahal Hotel, told CBS News: "The internet was absolutely brilliant for information, especially because I couldn't watch television."

Shah said she relied on the Web to search and share information.

"What citizen journalism does is widen the scope of what it means to be a journalist. It has given new voices to mainstream media and gives new options of how to collect news, how to create news and how to disseminate news," Mishra said.

ANI