Photo by: dipfanIf there is anything that this class has taught me, it is to never underestimate the power of that guy with his camera phone!
To be honest, I previously thought that the majority of "shaky cameras" and citizen journalist efforts were really just rather pathetic attempts by people who were trying to get their 15 minutes in the news. I really had no patience for the amateurism of it all.
However, I have realized that those 15 minutes have much more of an impact than I initially thought.
As Mitch Joel pointed out in our final lecture, one must understand the power of the shaky camera. These videos now act as evidence, as proof, as real live news. Unedited and uncensored. It's the truth.
After all, isn't that what everyone who turns to the news is really searching for?
So, instead of the internet and citizen journalism adding to the clutter of various opinions, beliefs and political ideologies that we are used to having traditional media drum into us, I would argue that bloggers and citizen journalists are just trying to get the truth out.
Sure, we may all be caught in the Long Tail, struggling to get up into the shorter section, but nevertheless what we have to say is important. We are small on our own, but together we are making quite a lot of noise.
Moreover, I have learned that the way in which we convey our messages online is also of great importance. Links, Images, "serifed versus sans-serifed" text, paragraph length and even the style of writing changes dramatically when working with online journalism versus the traditional print and broadcast means of distribution.
Then there is the whole concept of the gift economy. Are you going to put your work out there and let it roam cyberspace for free, or are you going to put advertisements on your page to keep the money rolling in? Whether or not one is going to blog for money is only one of many questions on an extensive list that arise in the realm of citizen journalism and online media.
However complicated the process, however intricate the styles, and however controversial the means, one thing still holds true: citizen journalism is making a profound impact in the way that we read the news, the way we access it, the way we process it, and the way we interact with it.
And for that reason alone, I think citizen journalism is here to stay.
To be honest, I previously thought that the majority of "shaky cameras" and citizen journalist efforts were really just rather pathetic attempts by people who were trying to get their 15 minutes in the news. I really had no patience for the amateurism of it all.
However, I have realized that those 15 minutes have much more of an impact than I initially thought.
As Mitch Joel pointed out in our final lecture, one must understand the power of the shaky camera. These videos now act as evidence, as proof, as real live news. Unedited and uncensored. It's the truth.
After all, isn't that what everyone who turns to the news is really searching for?
So, instead of the internet and citizen journalism adding to the clutter of various opinions, beliefs and political ideologies that we are used to having traditional media drum into us, I would argue that bloggers and citizen journalists are just trying to get the truth out.
Sure, we may all be caught in the Long Tail, struggling to get up into the shorter section, but nevertheless what we have to say is important. We are small on our own, but together we are making quite a lot of noise.
Moreover, I have learned that the way in which we convey our messages online is also of great importance. Links, Images, "serifed versus sans-serifed" text, paragraph length and even the style of writing changes dramatically when working with online journalism versus the traditional print and broadcast means of distribution.
Then there is the whole concept of the gift economy. Are you going to put your work out there and let it roam cyberspace for free, or are you going to put advertisements on your page to keep the money rolling in? Whether or not one is going to blog for money is only one of many questions on an extensive list that arise in the realm of citizen journalism and online media.
However complicated the process, however intricate the styles, and however controversial the means, one thing still holds true: citizen journalism is making a profound impact in the way that we read the news, the way we access it, the way we process it, and the way we interact with it.
And for that reason alone, I think citizen journalism is here to stay.
1 comment:
Media literacy is always needed. Call me a cynical douchebag, but any source needs to be critically examined. Just because it is shaky, doesn't mean there is a grain of truth. Take things that happen in Montreal for example (ok, "hypothetical" situation but it does happen.) We hear about an angry black man. Police beat him but footage shows that the guy was yelling/intimidating at the cops. Reality is the guy was angry as he was being wrongfully prosecuted. The "truth" of the video is that the police are justified. Reality is different.
Mitch Joel is right when he says to remember the power of the shaky cam. It is a powerful tool, but only because people don't want to have to think about the wider implications of "truth".
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