The Evolution of
Technology has Given Us the Power
With each new day, it seems a new form of technology is
readily available for the public. Since the invention of the World Wide Web in
1991, it has been rapidly progressing to become the major way in which we
communicate and share information. New devices have made this sharing even
easier, with technology like desktops, laptops, mobile phones, and now iPhones
and iPads. We are in an age of citizen
journalism, where anyone with access to technology has the power to create
the news.
With Just A Phone in
Hand, We Can Reach the World
Because of the popularity and accessibility of technology,
it’s become possible to control the news with a device in the palm of your
hand. More and more, news stories have sprung from online YouTube videos that
have been recorded on a bystander’s iPhone. This year, a news story
about a 68-year-old bus monitor being bullied by the students got widespread
media attention after the video was posted on YouTube. Once the story gained
recognition, support for the woman and criticism for the children came pouring
in, and the children could have faced charges had Karen Klein wished to press
them.
Instances when altercations or injustices are caught on
camera can have detrimental effects on the reputations of the individuals
involved. Many times they can have no idea they are even being filmed, and in
the case of a Cleveland bus driver, his actions captured on cell phone
video cost him his job, and definitely tainted his public image. A passenger on
his bus recorded him punch a woman in the face, and proceed to physically throw
her into a seat. Like the bus monitor video, this video went viral on YouTube
and gained media attention.
It’s Not Just the
Public Caught On Camera; Even Your Private Videos Can Be Leaked
While both the bus monitor and bus driver cell phone videos
were taken by the general public and featured common people, important public
figures can also fall victim to the cell phone video leak, even when they were
taken on their own phones. Just recently, a video was leaked of U.S. defense
contractors in Kabul, showing them highly intoxicated on the job. The video was
taken by another employee and has sparked outrage, and even a criminal
investigation. It is strictly prohibited by the military to use alcohol or
other illegal drugs as a U.S. contractor under what is called General Order
Number One. The startling video contains the intoxicated men wrestling and
guzzling vodka, with firearms both on them and around them, as well as showing
the company’s medical officer unable to respond to a request for help after
using a prescription anesthetic. Due to what was captured on the video, the
contractor, Jorge Scientific, has taken “decisive action to correct the
unacceptable behavior of a limited number of employees” and many featured in it
no longer hold their jobs.
With This Kind of
Accessibility, You Could Be the Next Big Reporter
The numbers have it: almost 85% of American Adults (18+) are
owners of a cell phone.
According to poll results published on CNN, the
majority of U.S. citizens who own a cell phone own smartphones, and these are
the phones that can really create news due to their vast amount of features and
ever-growing amount of apps. With this kind of power, virtually anybody has the
opportunity to record, capture, blog, tweet, or post about an event that can
translate into the next big news story. Anytime you flip on the news, you can
expect to see a news story that features either a video or a photo taken from a
cell phone. Oftentimes, the photos leaked are malicious and the videos posted
are defamatory; however, it is possible that an act by a good Samaritan or a
photo that shows a good moment can be published as well. Because we hold the
devices, we hold the power. With this power, we can shape our own news and
publish what we want to be seen or heard. Not only does the popularity of cell
phone use affect our news, but also the popularity of our online technology like
YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or our personal blogs. With these platforms, we are able to
speak our minds and share our stories. Unlike face-to-face communication that is restricted to those that you know or may physically encounter, the web gives us the chance to share and communicate with people we may never know or see. There are an enormous amount of connections able to be made between users from any part of the world, and these connections spread like wildfire, and talk creates news. The ability to connect with not just our
friends, but also with the general public, has redefined traditional journalism and
launched us into a new era.
“With great power, comes great responsibility” is a line that comes from a very popular comic book series and is very relevant to this very discussion. Although anyone can become the next big story with their new cell phone camera, it also can bring a lot of dangers to it as well. For example, at Rutger’s University, a student was filmed on camera having homosexual intercourse with another person and it was broadcasted live by his roommate to other people (http://abcn.ws/WCspMm). Because of this, the roommate being recorded tragically committed suicide because of the embarrassment he faced. Just because the technology is out there for a person to become the next great hit, it also can bring some very costly consequences.
ReplyDeleteWith this evolution of technology, mainstream news networks have also attempted to evolve alongside with these innovations, and cater to the everyday average American. One of those networks is CNN and their CNN iReport section. This is a pretty innovative approach to the wide spreading of citizen journalism across the country, and it is a great way to encourage people to record and report things that are relevant and important to people who publish these videos. This tides well with the point you made about the increase of cell phone ownership by adults in America, because the ease and accessibility of this technology and innovative reporting could be done by virtually anyone in today’s world. Some of these videos or photos could easily be used by the network, and make headlines across the website, which is actually pretty cool.
ReplyDeletehttp://ireport.cnn.com/explore.jspa
Day by day technologies are increased therefore continuously change technologies and implement new gadgets with new technology. Any ways your article is very nice and appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteHarshal Shah