#CameronMustGo — Why trending on Twitter doesn’t make your campaign newsworthy

Another weekend, another Twitter storm. This time the focus has been on people venting their anti-Cameron feelings with #CameronMustGo.

So far so normal. The difference this time has come with the expectation that these tweets amount to something more than people blowing off steam.

Since Sunday morning, there’s also been a frankly ridiculous number of tweets asking why the BBC and other media aren’t covering the hashtag or like the tweet below arguing that they never will.

Trying to shame the BBC into covering a topic is nothing new. Just look at hashtags like #bbcbias or almost any discussion around protests. But normally this anger is directed at the supposed lack of coverage of physical protests or demonstrations.

Most of the time, this anger is misplaced with the BBC or whichever media organisation is under the cosh having already covered the story.

Frustration over the lack of coverage of a hashtag is a whole new world of anger.

Naturally, the last couple of hours have seen tweets mocking this frustration. And they’re right to. A trending topic on Twitter does not equal a news story — well unless you’re Alex from Target.

What exactly is newsworthy about this latest hashtag? Lots of people disagree with or even hate Cameron? We already know that from opinion polls.

It’s nothing new and I wonder why people demand media coverage.

Probably because they want Cameron to go and feel news coverage would justify their cause. For all the bleating about social media replacing the mainstream media, it’s amazing how much digital crusaders still want to be validated by coverage in the dailies or 6 o’clock news.

We have a free press and it’s up to reporters and editors to decide on the stories that are worth covering. If mob outrage starts defining what editors to cover then we’re going down a very slippery slope and entering a world of social/traditional media that I want no part of.