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Arresting images of newsworthy events are nothing new — the public has been captivated by such photos since the Hindenburg disaster. But modern technology has made such images more immediate and more likely to be captured by members of the public.

Citizen journalism has been responsible for many memorable photos from recent global events, and platforms like Twitter, and the Twitpic image sharing service, enable instant publication and reach. Mashable spoke with Rodrigo Aguiar, a journalist and one of the founders of @BreakingNews, about the rise of Twitter “citizen reports.”

“I think Twitter has been the perfect medium for breaking news. As a tool, it is real time, mobile and searchable. When a major story breaks, the easiest way for journalists to get firsthand information is by deploying two tools: What the people near the event are tweeting, and what photos are they posting. I have seen many times that the news media always try to contact eyewitnesses for comments or to get a license for their photos. Journalists can’t be everywhere, but people are always ‘live from the scene,’” Aguiar says.

We’ve taken a look at nine notable images that have emerged via Twitter, documenting front-page news events from all around the world. Take a look through the gallery and let us know which ones you find most memorable in the comments below.

1. Haitian Earthquake

Haitian radio and TV host Carel Pedre captured a series of memorable images during January 2010. Pedre was given a special "humanitarian" award at the second annual "Shorty Awards" for his communications via Twitter during the crisis.

2. Miracle on the Hudson

"There's a plane in the Hudson. I'm on the ferry going to pick up the people. Crazy." So read Janis Krums' Twitpic description, posted on January 15, 2009. Miraculously, all passengers onboard were rescued.

3. CCTV Tower Fire in Beijing

Twitter user green67 was on hand to capture this dramatic photo as a notable business complex containing the celebrated CCTV tower in Beijing was burnt to the ground.

4. Turkish Airlines Crash

The news of a Turkish Airlines crash at an Amsterdam airport in February 2009 broke on Twitter. Twitter user Diederik uploaded the first image of the downed plane as official news outlets were still trying to confirm details of the incident. The image has nearly 100,000 views.

5. Schultz Pass Fire

The Schultz Pass Fire in June 2010 spread across 5,000 acres and saw more than 750 homes evacuated. Lorraine B. Elder captured some striking panoramas of the fire, which she shared on Twitpic, giving those outside Arizona an amazing view of the catastrophe.

6. Mexicali Earthquake

Beto Peralta's image of a Mexicali house damaged by the 7.2 earthquake in April 2010 has been viewed more than 35,000 times -- a stat that shows the power of the platform.

7. Civil Unrest in Egypt

Architect Mahmoud El-Nahas says "[I] just found myself in #Jan25." This image shows the sheer size of the crowd, especially when compared to the small group of officers amongst them.

8. Christchurch Earthquake

We have seen many images via Twitter of the terrible devastation in Christchurch following the recent earthquake, but TVNZ's Charlotte Bellis captured this moment just after the quake struck. The dust is still settling in the wake of the disaster.

9. Port-au-Prince

Astronaut Soichi Noguchi has captivated many with his amazing Twitpics from the International Space Station -- many of the images have racked up more than 50,000 views each. This image of Port-au-Prince was taken 12 days after the January 12, 2010 earthquake and has been viewed more than 40,000 times.

All images courtesy of the photographers

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More Resources from Mashable:

- How Journalists Are Using Social Media to Report on the Egyptian Demonstrations
- HOW TO: Spend an Entire Year Giving to Charity
- 5 Fresh Digital Media Trends to Watch
- HOW TO: Run a Global Charity Event From Your Laptop
- How Egyptians Used Twitter During the January Crisis [INFOGRAPHIC]

More About: Christchurch, citizen journalism, Digital Photo and Film Series, Egypt, haiti, haiti earthquake, Hudson River, News, photography, photojournalism, Photos, plane crash, twitpic, twitter

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