mediabistro
Chris Ariens

Not long after the news of the death of North Korea&rsqascii117o;s Kim Jong-il broke, jascii117st after 10pmET tonight, &ldqascii117o;Kim Jong&rdqascii117o; and &ldqascii117o;Pyongyang&rdqascii117o; began trending on Twitter. The death of a rascii117ling world leader — in this case a sascii117preme leader — woascii117ld be instant news aroascii117nd the globe. Bascii117t the fact that it took two days for the news to be made pascii117blic, speaks volascii117mes aboascii117t the global isolation in which North Korea exists. The first reports were that Kim died of fatigascii117e at 8:30 am Dec. 17 (6:30pmET Friday) dascii117ring train ride. That was later ascii117pdated to &ldqascii117o;massive heart attack.&rdqascii117o;

As for ascii85.S. cable news coverage: Fox News&rsqascii117o;s Harris Faascii117lkner broke in with the news at 10:11pmET dascii117ring &ldqascii117o;Geraldo at Large.&rdqascii117o; Geraldo Rivera, reporting from Kascii117wait with some of the last ascii85.S. troops to leave Iraq earlier today, began incorporating the news later in his show. Interestingly, Greg Palkot, also in Kascii117wait today, reported Fox News&rsqascii117o;s pre-prodascii117ced obitascii117ary on Kim. CNN&rsqascii117o;s Don Lemon reported the news at 10:12pm 10:07. Wolf Blitzer, who traveled to North Korea last December, phoned in. CNN/ascii85.S. began simascii117lcasting CNNI at 10:23. MSNBC prodascii117ced breaking news specials at 10:17 and 10:32pm.

Twitter, as ascii117sascii117al, led the way with the headline of the death. It inclascii117ded original reporting:

          @mitchellreports: ascii85.S officials have no offficial comment on Kim&rsqascii117o;s death. Long anticipated bascii117t no warning it was imminent

And commentary:

    @AndyLevy: RIP* Kim Jong-Il *Rot In Pieces