News, gossip, video and photos now travel at the speed of cellular service. Where the latest rumors were once swapped at the hair salon or in club powder rooms and shocking news footage couldn’t be viewable until the 6 o’clock news, citizens journalists and just plain citizens alike are now using their cell phones to spread the word on the next big scoop. Whether it’s a big sale at Macy’s, spicy ocular proof of infidelity or terrifyingly close up video of a natural disaster, he who has the phone capable of capturing it and submitting it to the world via e-mail, MMS and social media networks first gets the glory. It’s no longer just about being in the right place at the right time – now, having the right phone is just as important. Check out some of these top phones for social media and multimedia sharing.

BlackBerry Bold

This phone has long been recognized for helping executives micromanage even when they were away from the office, but in a Web 2.0 world, the BlackBerry Bold now has even more application. The Facebook for BlackBerry app lets you hop on to check in on the latest news from the mini-feed as well as post photos as your night on the town unfolds. In fact, even some journalists are using the BlackBerry to report the news. This phone also has a full HTML web browser and support for instant messaging clients like AIM and Google Talk.

HTC TouchPro2

Any phone running Windows Mobile is great for keeping your finger on the pulse, thanks to such apps as Facebook for Windows Mobile 6, FriendMobilizer and Snap2Face. Using any Windows Mobile phone, you can send pictures, update your status and browse friends to your Facebook, MySpace and other social media account. But what makes the HTC TouchPro2 awesome for these functions is its slide out full QEWERTY keyboard, 3.2 megapixel camera and slick 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Samsung Exclaim

The Samsung Exclaim was made to shout it from the rooftops. The customizable home screen gives you one-click access to MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and e-mail and multimedia messaging. The dual-slider design hides a slick QWERTY keyboard, which is backlit so you can text in the dark.

Nokia N95

Blogging doesn’t have to be done from a clunky laptop anymore. The Nokia N95 is great for sending full, multimedia rich posts to your Blogger, Wordpress or TypePad blog. The phone comes packed with an unbelievable 8 GB of built-in memory – and you’ll need it to store all the beautiful, high-res photos from the 5-megapixel camera. If you want your friends, family and colleagues to see the world as you see it, then the Nokia N95 is your phone.

Once you get your social networking cell phone, it’s important to find the best cell phone plans for social media. You’ll want a plan with ample data allowances, 3G speeds and MMS support. And, of course, you’ll want to find a provider with great coverage – because what’s the use of capturing a momentous event if you can’t broadcast it to the world? Take time to compare cell phones and cell phone plans online before choosing which phone will be your gateway to social prominence.