Davos Gets Social

The way the World Economic Forum has been covered by the media has changed drastically since its beginnings in 1971. Now, you don't even have to attend the annual meeting to know who's making news on the ground.

The culprit? Social media. Just take a walk by the Davos lounge, and you'll see a large screen featuring "social buzz" and a Twitter globe highlighting tweets from attendees. Earlier this week, a

Twitter leader board

created a bit of a stir when Nouriel Roubini tweeted his #3 position behind Henry Blodget and Ian Bremmer.

This year, more than 970 participants are tweeting from Davos, including 116 public figures, making it easy to track news and highlights.The official hashtag of the conference -- #WEF -- has been a trending topic on Twitter throughout the week.

It's not just Twitter, though. If you visit the World Economic Forum Facebook Page, you'll find regular blog updates and a running Storify of the latest social media commentary. There's an official app available for Android, iOS, and Windows phone. And, in case you couldn't make it to Davos, many of the sessions are streaming live on YouTube.

Nouriel Roubini | Twitter

Attendees aren't always sharing their thoughts about world events or panels. The Daily Beast's Tina Brown tweeted a comment from New York Yankees' Derek Jeter, which got people talking: @TheTinaBeast:"Derek Jeter on @lancearmstrong, 'Should have admitted mistake and moved on. He fooled everyone' @davos."

Justin Solomon | CNBC

The Social Buzz screen at the Davos WEF lounge.

Why is Derek Jeter at Davos? He was appearing at a private lunch sponsored by Pepsi.

Of course, CNBC is involved in the action. Andrew Ross Sorkin hosted a Q&A on Facebook, Maria Bartiromo will take your questions on Twitter, and you can follow tweets from our entire team in this nifty Storify.

CNBC's Mary Catherine Wellons contributed reporting for this story.