This document discusses how news and information can spread quickly on Twitter through retweets. It uses the example of the BreakingNews Twitter account, which had over 400,000 followers in 2009, to illustrate how one person could potentially share a tweet with over 160 million other users through just two levels of retweets from followers. It also notes that while the math works out theoretically, Twitter only had around 20 million total users at the time. The document suggests BreakingNews grew so much because people trust the account due to the founder's passion for staying on top of breaking news.

1. News on twitter How one person could inform the (twitter) world

2. BreakingNews has 411 692 followers Screenshot from http://twitter.com/BreakingNews - Shooted on 2009, may 20th

3. By Re-tweeting a user forward a tweet to all his followers following ReTweet (RT) etc.

4. According to sysomos study we consider each twitterer has an average of 20 followers etc

5. @BreakingNews could display one tweet to 164 676 800 people in 2 Retweet BreakingNews followers 411 692 1st RT - Followers of followers 411 692 x 20 = 8 233 840 2nd RT - Followers of followers of followers 8 233 840 x 20 = 164 676 800 * * well, it's not possible at the moment : twitter has only 20 million of users ;o)

6. Did you know BreakingNews ?

7. Of course not. BreakingNews doesn't exist as a company yet Screenshot from http://www.bnonews.com/press/ - Shooted on 2009 May, 20th

8. On october 2008 (six months ago) BreakingNews only had 8 173 followers Screenshot from http://www.bnonews.com/press/http://bnonews.tumblr.com/post/57009276/introduction-and-stats-for-the-last-week - Shooted on 2009 May, 20th

9. Why ?

10. TRUST People trust BreakingNews.

11. How ?

12. PASSION Michael van Poppel, founder of BreakingNews, is in love with news.

13. Work in progress – Feel free to comment Made by Cédric Motte www.chouingmedia.com twitter.com/chouing