New age technology has changed the way citizens play their role in society today. Videos, pictures, Facebook Live, tweets, and blogs have revolutionized the term 'citizen journalist'.
As the article explained how videos of police brutality and blog posts exposing government crimes in Egypt helped bring about the 'Arab Spring' and also a new age of how people can use simple day to day technology to fight against the greatest powers in a country.
We can see a similar effect from new age technology in the US, in terms of body cameras on police and the use of taking mobile phone videos to record shootings, arrests, and accidents that occur. This has led to an uneasy relationship between a country's government and its citizens.
Such technology can and must be used by citizens to record anything they see happening in their world that may be ignored or suppressed by the mainstream media. This was the case seen in Egypt, as the government friendly media would not expose officials for human rights crimes they committed. It was the courageous work of journalists and citizens that brought to light the crimes happening in the country.
This of course, also leads to backlash by the government in forms of censorship, surveillance, and ban of networks and social media sites by governments fearful of the truths that can be exposed through them.
Digital revolutions such as those started in Egypt are seen all over the world. While these are essential to help bring about justice and democracy in the world, it can at times endanger the lives of those responsible for them.
While journalists gain training in how to work and stay safe in dangerous situations, the people who live in those places have no such training or help, which brings the question of what mainstream media of today can do to help protect the citizen journalists they encourage and support to share the news and truth from around the world.
I believe that citizen journalists are becoming more and more like independent journalists, because they record what is happening in front of them and expose the lies and crimes committed by people in power and authority. But this is journalism on a knifes edge, where manipulation, secrecy, and illegal methods can be used on citizen journalists.
The use of new age technology is essential in today's ever expanding and digitalized world, but at what cost to life is this method of journalism being used.
As the article explained how videos of police brutality and blog posts exposing government crimes in Egypt helped bring about the 'Arab Spring' and also a new age of how people can use simple day to day technology to fight against the greatest powers in a country.
We can see a similar effect from new age technology in the US, in terms of body cameras on police and the use of taking mobile phone videos to record shootings, arrests, and accidents that occur. This has led to an uneasy relationship between a country's government and its citizens.
Such technology can and must be used by citizens to record anything they see happening in their world that may be ignored or suppressed by the mainstream media. This was the case seen in Egypt, as the government friendly media would not expose officials for human rights crimes they committed. It was the courageous work of journalists and citizens that brought to light the crimes happening in the country.
This of course, also leads to backlash by the government in forms of censorship, surveillance, and ban of networks and social media sites by governments fearful of the truths that can be exposed through them.
Digital revolutions such as those started in Egypt are seen all over the world. While these are essential to help bring about justice and democracy in the world, it can at times endanger the lives of those responsible for them.
While journalists gain training in how to work and stay safe in dangerous situations, the people who live in those places have no such training or help, which brings the question of what mainstream media of today can do to help protect the citizen journalists they encourage and support to share the news and truth from around the world.
I believe that citizen journalists are becoming more and more like independent journalists, because they record what is happening in front of them and expose the lies and crimes committed by people in power and authority. But this is journalism on a knifes edge, where manipulation, secrecy, and illegal methods can be used on citizen journalists.
The use of new age technology is essential in today's ever expanding and digitalized world, but at what cost to life is this method of journalism being used.
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