The Washington Post took swift action after controversial tweets from one of its managing editors Raju Narisetti disclosed opinions on healthcare reform and the hospitalization of Sen. Robert Byrd.

Not only has Narisetti since closed his Twitter account, but the Post on Friday implemented a series of new social networking guidelines. It says the guidelines had previously been in the works, but editors “decided to accelerate the completion of [them]” after the Narisetti incident.

Twitter debuted a new homepage today (July 28, 2009, remember that date in history), and it shows a fundamental shift from “what are you doing?” to a new emphasis on real-time search and information distribution.

It doesn’t take much to see where news is breaking these days.

In the latest instances of a growing trend, a shooting in Washington, D.C. Wednesday, and explosions in Jakarta Friday were reported on Twitter by several accounts more than 15 minutes before traditional media reports.

Not only is mainstream media losing its edge, but the “breaking news” phenomenon in general is losing its value, according to Frédéric Filloux of Monday Note.

The other day, I took a look at how the Associated Press used Twitter to cover the Sonia Sotomayor hearings.

It was a landmark experiment for that organization, and it seems the most extensive such project, fueled by a team of eight. But live tweets during the hearings weren’t limited to the AP.

The Associated Press is trying something it’s never tried before with its coverage of the Sonia Sotomayor hearings.

It’s providing round-the-clock tweets at @AP_Courtside, documenting every move of the hearings, allowing the general public easy access to some of AP’s best talent, and using feedback to direct the coverage itself. And that’s not all.

The Twitter Search interface is brilliant.

Thousands of tweets are posted per minute. And this tool allows you to search all of them — in real-time. It’s been affectionately called the “Google of Twitter” in the past, and it’s sometimes viewed as a threat to Google itself. Simply put, it’s a tool you can’t miss.

There are two Web sites that make it incredibly easy to find journalists on Twitter: Media on Twitter and Muck Rack.

Both sites offer an easy and quick way to find journalists on Twitter, who you may be interested in following. While Media on Twitter lists more journalists on its site, Muck Rack is particularly useful during breaking news and times you’re interested in real-time information.

Ever wish there was a way to organize your chaotic Twitter stream into a series of columns, one with pictures, one with replies, one with retweets, one with generic chatter, and even one with potential story ideas?

Yes, there’s Tweetdeck for those familiar with Twitter, but now there’s a new option out there, designed with the journalist in mind: JournoTwit.

Tonight I had the chance to meet Rick Murray, president of Edelman Digital, a division of Edelman that specializes in digital communication and social media outreach. He says there’s a new 24-hour news cycle and media companies must adapt.

“Today news is broken on Twitter, guaranteed. Then it goes to the Web site, and then the newspaper,” he said. “You have to know this because this is where things are going.”