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Last week, when National Holocaust Museum security guard Stephen Tyrone Johns was shot and killed, Twitter users turned to their updates to gain more information about and react to this tragedy in real time. Blackman Rakowitz Public Relations CEO Cindy Rakowitz @crakowitz was among the group; retweeting from her Tweetdeck the condolences she had seen posted by a tweeter. Minutes later, her condolences had been viewed and retweeted by many others. An entire community was able to participate in a virtual memorial service for Stephen Tyrone Jones immediately after the incident took place.

This weekend democratic voices from around the world expressed their outrage through Twitter when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad emerged as the winner of the Iranian presidential election. And the BBC reported that “someone in Iran was interfering with its satellite signals,” provoking shock and dismay within Twitter’s powerful news communities. Journalist @PeterSantilli took the lead in communicating with Iranians who were able keep concerned global citizens updated on the rallies, protests, and the Iranian government’s decisions through alternative contact vehicles. BR Public Relations president Diane Blackman @blackmanexpress was among the many tweeters who followed key stories on developments in Iran as they were happening post election, in turn generating further awareness in the Twitter world.

Historically, through broadcast transmission, everyone who owned a television set was able to watch news as it happened. Many of us can easily recall about where we were the moment when man first walked on the moon, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and more recently the attack and destruction of the World Trade Center.

Now with Twitter, we have the ability to interact, report, impact and take action in real time. We are a part of a communication revolution, and we’re certain that the 31 million voices on Twitter can truly make the world a better place.