The #secret’s out on Twitter

I know, I know. There are myriad articles out there on the topic of the pervasive power of Twitter, the increasingly popular microblogging website. But today, I witnessed (and contributed to) a Twitter phenomenon: #jackiessecret.

(Note for those less Twitter-friendly readers: The use of “#” in a tweet is called a hashtag. It’s a Twitter tool that links common Tweets from different users together, forming an easily searchable conversation)

#jackiessecret started when Emerson College president, Jackie Liebergott, wrote an institution-wide e-mail informing the school that she “will make an important announcement concerning the future of the College.” Immediately, students, faculty and staff took to Twitter, making (sometimes wild) predictions as to what the announcement would be, calling it “Jackie’s secret.” The predictions ranged from Lady Gaga performing to the school’s motto officially changing to the popular saying “Gay by May,” to free tuition. Many were hilarious and captivated not only myself, but all of Emerson, the alumni and much of the Greater Boston community and media.

The amazing part of #jackiessecret was how explosive it was. It started with six users and quickly became hundreds, tweeting over 1300 responses within a matter of hours. Many hoped it would become a trending topic, or the ten most talked about topics on Twitter at any one time. While it didn’t quite reach that, two current students should be noted for their contributions to the Emerson viral phenomenon: Laura Kinson, @LBKinson and Matt Karolian, @MKarolian. Laura created and suggested the hashtag and Matt streamed the announcement live from his laptop, handheld from the audience.

This movement was amazing to be a part of because of how quickly and thoroughly it brought together a community. It allowed several generations of Emersonians to become acquainted, joke and unite. It also proved the importance of social media. The Emerson Channel did not broadcast it live, instead replaying it hours later, yet one student with a laptop and a UStream account allowed 150 Emersonians to witness it firsthand. Moreover, President Liebergott’s announcement vastly overshadowed the similar news from the Dean of the Harvard Business School, released the same day.

Overall, this tiny little sensation rocked the Emerson twitterverse and made a big announcement even bigger. Social media broke the news and carried it to a much larger audience. Twitter, and the cohesive use of a hashtag, proves again to be a viable source of news, information and entertainment.

See it for yourself: #jackiessecret

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