Separating News from Noise

Through an analysis of alerting data from our breaking news platform, Dataminr for News, we
set out to understand how different sources break and contribute to news, and how that varies
by region and by topic.

In every region of the world, eyewitness sources were the top contributor to breaking news
stories. Citizen journalism has secured its place as a regularand a criticalcontributor to the
newsgathering process.

In the evolution of the communication landscape, the flow of information has changed
dramatically. Weve shifted from a time when a captive audience tuned into a well-researched
radio broadcast at a set time, to a world where a citizen on the street plays witness to a
newsworthy event and shares it instantly on social media. The trend is global. Some of the
years biggest stories across topics including crime, politics, and entertainment were broken
by individuals, including the terror attack in Barcelona and the shooting at a U.S. Congressional
Baseball practice.

This analysis is grounded in our technology. Dataminr uses artificial intelligence and machine
learning techniques to process all public Tweets in real-time and extract signals from the 500
million Tweets sent each day, delivering them to clients as breaking news alerts. For this report
we analyzed more than 600,000 alerts delivered from January 1 to June 30, 2017.

Dataminr for News classifies the source of alerts into one of 13 categories, which indicate the
type of account that published the Tweet. Journalists use Source Category classifications as an
early indicator in the verification process. Tweets from Reporters and Major News are more
likely to have been vetted before publishing, whereas Chatter sources eyewitnesses to
events likely require more investigation to verify the accuracy of the content.

5 Insights Into Sources Breaking News on Social

41% of all alerts were attributed to Chatter sources, or eyewitnesses who are
41% live-Tweeting from the scene of breaking news.

The top 5 Source CategoriesChatter, Reporter, Local News, Blogs and

82% Emergency Responderscontributed 82% of all alerts.

In Africa and South America, more than 50% of alerts were attributed to
50%+ Chatter sources.

South America had the greatest share of alerts attributed to Emergency

53% sources (13%), and Chatter (53%) of all regions.

Nearly one in three alerts tagged to Transportation and Infrastructure was attributed
1 in 3 to a Chatter source, the highest of all 27 topics covered by Dataminr for News.
Percentage of Alerts Attributed to Chatter Sources by Region

Dataminr for News

Source Categories

Blog
Business
North Europe Asia-Pacific Chatter
America 40% 48% Emergency Responders
32% Entertainment
Government
Africa
51%
Local News
Major Blog
Major News
NGO
South America Reporter
53%
Sports
University

30-34.9% 35-39.9% 40-44.9% 45-49.9% 50-54.9%

Top Source Category Definitions

Chatter: Breaking news reported by eyewitnesses across all public Tweets

Reporters: Journalists affiliated with major or local news agencies

41%
Local News: News agencies providing coverage on issues of regional scope percent of alerts sourced
from Chatter category,
Blogs: Publications that create content and commentary around niche eyewitnesses who are
themes live-Tweeting a breaking
news event
Emergency Reponders: Law enforcement and medical teams that provide
services during public safety incidents

About Dataminr for News

Journalists around the world rely on Dataminr for News to deliver the earliest tips to breaking news and pre-viral stories.
Dataminrs proprietary algorithms analyze all public Tweets in real time, surfacing critical information as it happens.
The platform enables journalists and media professionals to receive tailored notifications via mobile, email, desktop,
TweetDeck, and Slack. Dataminr for News is a member of the First Draft Network, a nonprofit coalition dedicated to
improving skills and standards in the reporting and sharing of information that emerges from the social web.

Request a demo at www.dataminr.com/news