Video and the dark side of 'citizen journalism'
Two stories today are highlighting the dangers of a world where everyone can take and publish videos, pretty much unrestricted. The first example is about a Brazilian celebrity having, or apparently engaged in, sex with her boyfriend. Bad news for the celebrity and a sad commentary on our voyeuristic culture. Not to mention privacy rules.
The second example is far more disturbing. Watching the video of Hussein's execution is the equivalent of watching a snuff movie. It's disturbing that anyone would want to watch a fellow human being die, no matter how evil they might have been. But now there comes a story suggesting copy-cat deaths involving children. That's a powerful argument against the death penalty, if any more evidence of its brutalising impact on society was needed.
But what about the responsibility of the publisher. Now that Google owns Youtube, I think we're going to see legislators, not to mention litigants, moving to make them far more accountable for the consequences of what they publish. The old saying about free speech not giving you the right to yell fire in a crowded theatre still holds true.
Interesting stuff, but I'm not sure Citizen 'journalism' right term or the issue here.
No one exercised any editorial control or restraint in publishing that video online. It isnt journalism of any kind.
The general problem seems to be around the ability of anyone to publish and distribute the stuff.
Citizen 'distributors' are somthing that will never be controlled.
Citizen 'publishers' - well theres a different issue.
As people involved in the business of 'controling' information that is scary stuff. Maybe the job now is not to tell people information but to educate people in how to use it properly.
Posted by: Andy | 10 January 2007 at 05:34 AM
Yes the problem is around the ability of everyone and anyone to publish. But I don't agree that governments can't or shouldn't try and control what is distributed. They do already in many ways. What journalism might be beyond also distributing information, analysis and opinion I'm not really sure.
Posted by: Trevor Cook | 10 January 2007 at 08:29 AM
Though I'm not at all sure about what should be 'controlled' even if it were feasible to do so. There is a good forum on this (ie liberty and censorship and public morality)on TVO's Big Ideas show this week with podcasts of the very different contributions of Roger Scruton and Chris Hitchens - well worth a listen
Posted by: Trevor Cook | 10 January 2007 at 08:36 AM