Weather Channel's Twitter Fight With Joel Burns Sparks A Love Fest: #ThisIsFortWorth

This week’s Twitter fight between The Weather Channel and Fort Worth City Council member Joel Burns has sparked a social media love fest for all things Fort Worth.

On Twitter, people are posting their favorite scenes of Cowtown with the hashtag #ThisIsFortWorth.

The social media saga started when Burns complained to The Weather Channel on Twitter that it should stop showing photos of Dallas when giving the Fort Worth forecast on its weather app. (Fort Worth is always concerned about Dallas getting all the attention.)

The Weather Channel responded, referring to Burns’ efforts to stop bullying. (Burns earned international attention in 2010 when he delivered a message to gay teens called “It Gets Better.”) 

The response ignited a social media storm, with Twitter users calling out The Weather Channel for being snarky. Burns followed up by asking The Weather Channel to donate money to the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network and the Trevor Project.

The network eventually issued an apology.

Then something interesting happened. After the social media storm came a deluge of beauty shots of Fort Worth on Twitter. A Twitter hashtag -- #ThisIsFortWorth – started popping up as people posted pictures of their beloved city.

Here’s a sampling of what people are posting this week:

Burns has been featured on the front page of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and on websites across the country. He’s been complimented endlessly online about sticking up for his city – and for conducting a successful social media campaign.

Burns is a big fan of the pictures going around on Twitter. He's hoping to get even more exposure for Fort Worth – from The Weather Channel, of all places. He wants host Sam Champion to do the weather from Fort Worth. Burns extended an invitation – on Twitter, of course. 

(Photo Credit: Max Faulkner/Fort Worth Star-Telegram)