Breaking news now travels at the speed of Twitter, and it’s posing a tremendous challenge for businesses and organizations. It is quickly becoming clear that the traditional model for crisis communications response is antiquated and inadequate, as evidenced by the public critique of Metro’s response to last week’s fatal rail crash that killed nine riders in DC. The communications lesson learned from the crash is that the public demands the facts directly from the source and it wants them instantaneously. For commuters kept in the dark, Metro failed them in both respects.

An important lesson learned is to make sure that your direct audience – in this case, Metro riders – learns the news first. A Washington Post report reveals that Metro officials provided much clearer notification to the media in press releases than in alerts provided to the public, leaving commuters stranded on platforms or in trains grasping for details. For the first two hours following the crash, the travel alert on the WMATA website warned only of “a train experiencing mechanical difficulties” on the Red Line. Dissatisfied with the canned response, commuters learned of the news instead via Twitter, the Web, and text messages from concerned friends. As one frustrated Red Line commuter wrote to the Washington Post, “How can people around the country know that there was something a bit more serious than a mechanical difficulty and I didn’t?”

Metro’s traditional approach – tell commuters only what they need to know (e.g. service has been suspended along the red line), issue press releases, and conduct press interviews – ultimately backfired. Officials were diligent in issuing news releases, e-alerts, and emergency announcements, but the news seemed to always lag behind what was being reported elsewhere across the Web and the details were sparse. Metro may have been trying to shield its riders from the horrific details of the crash, but by failing to report the full extent of the incident, it lost credibility and the subsequent ability to control the dissemination of information.

Communications in the Twitter age is a challenge. You’ve got to respond quickly, accurately, and truthfully if you want to stay ahead of the news and lead the conversation. If you don’t, then people will simply turn elsewhere for their news.

Last week the Senate approved new legislation, which will potentially increase strict rules on the making and marketing of tobacco products. Restrictions like banning most tobacco flavorings, and reducing some of the 60 carcinogens and 4,000 toxins in cigarettes will affect production. Terms like “light” and “low tar” will also no longer allowed to be used.

There are also tighter rules governing the marketing and advertising of tobacco products. Black and white text-only ads will replace the familiar brightly colored, illustrated ads we see today in our local convenience stores and gas stations.

With these new advertising regulations a looming possibility for agencies who design for tobacco companies like Phillip Morris and RJ Reynolds, it’ll be interesting to see what kind of design comes from these new rules. DJ Stout of the world-renowned design agency Pentagram was commissioned by a local Florida newspaper to mock up what cigarette manufacturer Marlboro might do with these new guidelines. He suggests that “to comply with the crackdown, tobacco companies should embrace the restrictions and make cigarettes look truly dangerous. This, of course, will still appeal to a core group of smokers.”

Stout’s designs are classic Pentagram — clean and simply designed. Detailed black and white drawings of a skull and crossbones, or a skeleton carrying a coffin are the only imagery beyond the pack-covering text health warnings. He turns the entire pack into a three-dimensional warning label as opposed to current designs, which are rather small and tucked along the bottom of the pack.

These restrictions will be the first major step against smoking since the ’70s ban against television and radio advertising. The Association of National Advertisers says the act’s “unprecedentedly broad advertising restrictions violate the First Amendment protections for commercial speech.”

With new laws on the brink of approval, it’ll be interesting to see the changes in tobacco industry advertising.

99 cents for a cab ride in New York City? Sounds like a pretty good deal when a typical NYC cab ride costs between $10 and $20 (sometimes even more) depending on traffic.

During the month of June, Verizon is showing people the value of a dollar to raise awareness for their prepaid cellular plans. These plans charge a mere 99 cents a day as a usage fee, but not many consumers are aware they exist. Verizon’s guerilla campaign, “99 cents does more”, intends to show consumers just how far 99 cents can get you.

On June 10, 99 cents took New Yorkers pretty far as Verizon sponsored a fleet of 40 cabs that transported commuters from the key transit hubs during rush hour. Passengers were treated to a ride to anywhere in Manhattan for just 99 cents.

In addition to cheap taxi rides, Verizon will show New Yorkers a sweet deal on June 23. Trucks will be set up around the city serving Mr. Softee Ice Cream for 99 cents.

Verizon isn’t the only company to launch a recession-based marketing campaign. Sharpie has developed an online community where users can share affordable and creative tips using Sharpie. Giant’s campaign has also jumped on the recession bandwagon by providing online coupons for customers with a Giant Bonus Card.

In these times of economic recession, everyone is pinching pennies. As a result, companies must find a way to reach consumers in a time when many are hesitant to splurge. Verizon’s campaign shows that you don’t always have to spend a lot of money for quality. Through their guerilla tactics, Verizon is teaching New Yorkers the all-important value of a dollar.

In a recent article, Brian Solis of Tech Crunch asks is Twitter the CNN of the new media generation? Well I don’t know if I’m a full-fledged member of the new media generation yet, but after this weekend I say yes.

I was preparing to head out to a rain-soaked US Open golf tournament on Sunday morning at 5:30 a.m. – yes 5:30 a.m. There were rumors it would be delayed an hour or more or postponed all together. I searched the internet frantically, ESPN.com, the official US Open site, CNN, Newsday – you name it. Not one site had an update on the tournament. And then I thought, what about Twitter? I heard that pro golfer Stewart Cink tweets religiously. I called up my Twitter page, followed @stewartcink and low-and-behold found out immediately that the tournament would begin play Sunday at noon. Fifteen minutes later, ESPN.com had the same information posted.

That’s the beauty of Twitter — the information is instantaneous. As soon as something happens, you can just about guarantee something will be tweeted about it. In this case it was the schedule of a golf tournament, in other cases, it’s what happening in Iran.

So is Twitter the CNN of the new media generation? Maybe. Is it changing the way that news and information in general is shared? Absolutely. I know I’ll be tuned in to TNN going forward.

Enough with this Letterman-Palin thing already. Sarah wasn’t happy; Dave apologized; Bristol is still a teen mother. Let’s let that be the end of it, okay?

Ever since David Letterman’s joke about Palin’s sexually active spawn aired last week, the late-night host and former GOP VP candidate have been waging a feud so juicy, the media hasn’t salivated this much since LC showed up at Speidi’s wedding.

The chain of events goes like this: Palin goes to a Yankee game to throw out the first pitch. Dave makes joke about Alex Rodriguez impregnating one of her daughters during the game. The Gov goes crazy because the only daughter present for the game is 14-year old Willow (a.k.a. NOT the pregnant one). The Palins release a statement on Palin’s Facebook Notes in which Todd Palin states “Any ‘jokes’ about raping my 14-year-old are despicable.” Right-wing public and other crazy folk (incapable of surmising the joke was aimed at the daughter who actually DID get pregnant) lambaste Dave for intimating that a 35-year-old baseball player assaulted a minor.

Whether you think Dave is dirty or Palin is preposterous, the endless outrage was no doubt intensified by the outrageous way Palin camp framed the issue. Based on the simple fact that at least a thousand jokes (albeit many in poor taste) have been told at Bristol Palin’s expense since her pregnancy was revealed during the ’08 Presidential race, it’s tough to argue that Letterman’s was much more than joke number one thousand and one. However, the moment Todd Palin attached the “R” word to it, it became a whole other issue.

Palin teen pregnancy jokes are old hat; Palin teen rape jokes demand outrage.

The question is did the Palin Camp deliberately choose words that would add a different context to the issue and provoke more attention? I find it hard to believe Todd Palin is allowed to post anything to Sarah’s page that doesn’t pass the communications team’s muster. Surely they batted around several ways to write that statement, ultimately deciding on the one that would create the strongest impact.

Don’t think so? Consider this: Palin’s note condemning Letterman’s comments elicited 6,789 supportive “Likes” and 3,497 comments from viewers. Her note expressing horror at the shooters and sympathy for victims involved in last week’s attack on the National Holocaust Museum? Less than one-third supported her feelings and only 272 were inspired to comment.

Which event do you think deserves more outrage?