Royaltweet

In "An Interview With Queen Rania of Jordan On How Twitter Can Help Change The World," reporter Roi Carthy introduces the article's royal subject matter with a distinction between the "pages" of the past and the "streams" of the present that facilitate new kinds of online encounters. Looking at Queen Rania's Twitter stream, we see the Middle Eastern monarch boasting of her country's literacy rate and exchanging in lively discussions with Davos to claim a voice in the World Economic Forum. Although most of her traffic tilts asymmetrically toward being followed rather than following, the queen also follows pop culture streams from Oprah and The Onion. Queen Rania explains how she joined Twitter and became a participant as a fusing of her public and private personae.

I guess I first heard about it following the US election campaigns; there was quite a buzz around the creative use of social media in mobilizing people behind a common cause.

Since then, I’ve seen Twitter evolve into a dynamic and diverse medium for action as well as communication. Whether it’s raising money for malaria nets or promoting your company brand, Twitter answers much more than just “what are you doing?” It’s expanded to “what is the world doing, and what can the world do?”

Of course, I tweet. Tweeting is a very personal form of expression. Who else could talk about my son refusing to wear a suit to meet the Pope, my husband flying a helicopter, or take a twitpic from our home?

Tweetdeck was recommended by a friend, and that’s what I’m used to. And the same with Twibble; it works for when I’m on the go.

Of course, not everyone is pleased with celebrity students involving malaria nets, but Queen Rania's claim that these forms of engagement personalize philanthropy so that more people participate has been very persuasive to others.

In the interview, the queen says that her husband King Abdullah II is also supportive of her YouTube channel.