Hurricane Sandy, Social Media And The Role Of Citizen Journalism In Coverage Of The 'Frankenstorm' Discussed In IBTTalks Roundtable

We at the International Business Times love to discuss the latest breaking news and events, especially when they have such a great impact on our society and culture. In an effort to promote some of these in-house discussions and even share them with the greater social community, we at IBTimes have instituted a new weekly platform on Twitter called "IBTTalks," where our reporters get together for an hour each Wednesday to participate in an open discussion about the latest news and events.

For our second-ever IBTTalks discussion, IBTimes' technology team, which includes Dave Smith, Lisa Eadicicco and Yannick LeJacq, all sat down to discuss Hurricane Sandy, the massive "frankenstorm" that decimated parts of the East Coast, especially in New Jersey and New York, just in time for Halloween. When Hurricane Sandy made landfall on the evening of Oct. 29, many residents looked to social media to inform them on the latest happenings of the ongoing devastation, which ranged from flood reports to reports of power outages and violent winds, to even fires. Millions used social networks like Twitter and Facebook to discover and share important news, as well as their own statuses with family and friends.

In this chat dated on the Wednesday after the storm (embedded below, with the help from our friends at Storify), we analyzed the superstorm event and what roles people played in telling the story of Sandy. In addition, we examined the difference between citizen journalists and real journalists in reporting Hurricane Sandy and argued over whether or not it's fair to call everyday people "journalists."

Check out their entire chat below, and leave us your thoughts and impressions at the bottom of the page.