A set of moving photographs that helped define the year 2011 generated major attention in the blogosphere (and also helped BuzzFeed have its busiest day of online traffic ever). Teen singers dominated the conversation on Twitter and a Mexican presidential candidate’s gaffe was the most popular news video on YouTube.
A pepper-spraying incident at UC Davis set off a viral video on YouTube and critical commentary on blogs. In addition, conservative commentator David Frum received rare kudos from liberal bloggers.
The GOP presidential hopefuls were a major topic for bloggers and Twitter users last week as two other subjects also generated significant interest in both social media platforms—the Occupy Wall Street protests and the life and legacy of Steve Jobs.