The Power of Citizen Journalism: Witness, Record, and Share
No man is powerless, and no man must remain silent. We must make justice prevail through our voices and our actions.
Imagine how many victims have never received justice because no one said a word. Imagine how many lies were known as truths because “witnesses” continued to be silent. Then after that, imagine you are powerful, that you can stand and you can do something. What would you do as a citizen?
In witnessing uncomfortable situations, most of us would instead run away from the tension. While that may be reasonable, I believe that as citizens, we can do more: record and share. In today’s Digital Age, a modern way of journalism has paved its way in our society, taking a significant role in attaining justice. In a TedTalk, a remarkable journalist named Paul Lewis had discussed the impact of the new media and the nature of Collaborative Journalism, commonly known as Citizen Journalism. Below are some of my takeaways:
1.Citizen Journalism can change our society.
Collaborative Journalism has contributed great efforts in reshaping our society by providing pieces of evidence, correcting lies, and attaining justice. In multiple instances, citizen journalism had become a way to reveal the truths behind the countless lies in our society. Indeed, modern journalism can change lives.
2. We live in an era where people are not merely passive consumers of news.
Gone are the days where the general public’s only role in society is to become listeners. With a few taps, re-tweets, and shares, anyone can transport news across the globe. Everyone is entitled to have this new role in society utilizing new technologies to capture and share useful pieces of information. Through our lenses, we can be journalists.
3. The New Media is a powerful tool; we must use it with utmost responsibility.
With the advancements in technologies, information can travel faster than ever. As citizen journalists, we can take and share photos, videos, or statements that may be helpful for investigations. However, we should always be cautious. As mentioned by Lewis, Citizen Journalism is a social magnet. The fact that anyone has access to each information is quite alarming. This means that anyone who wishes to manipulate information for their personal gain is highly possible which makes information difficult to verify. As disinformation is not a new concept, we must strive to be responsible consumers and producers of news.
The power of Citizen Journalism is undeniable. As citizens, it is our obligation to engage in every situation around us; when each situation calls for action, we must respond responsibly. As Lewis said, “If you encounter something that you believe is problematic, disturbs you, concerns you, an injustice of some kind, something that doesn’t feel quite right, then why not witness it, record it and share it?” It might be daunting, but we have to keep in mind the harsh reality of our world. Think about it.
Reference:
Lewis, P.(2011, May 15). Citizen journalism Paul Lewis TEDxThessaloniki[Video File].YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9APO9_yNbcg
