1. This is citizen journalism at its finest:
YouTube and the public sphere
Matthew Lowe
Z3433797
2. Overview
Antony and Thomas based their analysis on the Youtube
comments which were left on uploads of the Oscar
Grace kill footage.
The following is an approximation of the different public
opinions which prevalent among the findings.
3. Group A
Citizen Journalism allows the highlighting of
certain injustices which are not in the interest of
governments or elitist media to broadcast, .i.e.
police brutality, high-end corruption, etc.
4. Group B
As in the case of Oscar Grant, amateur footage is often
of questionable validity, and caution, or neutrality, should
be exercised when extolling or condemning people
based on such evidence.
5. Group C
Citizen Journalism is endemic of apathy and
desensitization; certain people are appalled that
such acts could be filmed and walked away from
like tourists attractions without the impulse to
interfere.
6. Group D
There are instances where to become involved
is to risk more people being hurt; therefore, non
involvement is preferred, and documentation of
such instances at least salvages proof of an
injustice committed.
7. Group E
The response to documented injustice
should be severe, militant action on the
part of the people.
8. Does it really help anyway?
Rodney King.
“Yo, S’up, dawg? This is graphic shit, ya’all! ”
-Rodney King
http://youtu.be/tjXqSEcIDrQ
9. ‘Rodney King’ Outcome
The police who attacked Rodney King
were acquitted.
As a result of their acquittal, riots in L.A
bore 53 deaths.
10. Social Media Censorship and Current
Controversies
Antony and Thomas contend that ideologically –
that is, in the interest of free expression- vitriolic
and injurious online commentary should not be
discounted or disallowed.
Recent media examples such as TV host
Charlotte Dawson and footballer Robbie Farrah
have cried fowl when their Twitter accounts ran
amuck.
11. ‘Robbie Farrah’ or ‘Pardon Me,
but your hands are on my
penis!’
“Trolls! Trolls everywhere!”
-Charlotte Dawson
12. Conclusions
Social media and citizen journalism are
pupating formations which must continue
to be studied and refined as they grow.
The myriad response to social media
events and citizen journalism indicates the
fractal nature of society and the public
sphere.
13. Discussion
Could cases like Oscar Grant and Rodney King have been prevented if
people intervened instead of filming? What are the perceived pros and cons
of intervening?
What are the racial implications of the Grant and King attacks? Were the
white police suffering from penis-envy as exacerbated by black racial
stereotypes?
Filming the event cannot change the fact that Oscar Grant is dead. Nor will
it help the next person who is subject to police violence. Does this suggest
an innate futility in citizen documentation?
The Zegg ‘Free Love’ commune in Germany objected to the filming of their
‘oil’ ceremony on the basis that having it widely viewed would somehow
lessen its basic impact. Apply this idea to filmed citizen violence: does
posting it on Youtube simply desensitize people further and lessen basic
compassion?
