Citizen Journalism

The "Citizen Journalism" article looks at the unfortunate event of Oscar Grant, who was shot in 2009 in a subway station by officers of the Bay Area Rail Transit. 

Due to the immediacy of technology today, witnesses were able to record this event on their cellphones and upload the recordings to YouTube. As one would imagine, a large amount of controversy arose as these videos gained popularity. The witnesses' videos were even used in the trial as official evidence. 

I thought it was interesting how the videos generated mixed responses. Ok so they may not have been recorded in the best quality format, but I think it is important that this event was documented and shared by the citizens because the incident may have never gained as much popularity if it hadn't been broadcast by the citizens. 

Also, I think this article is a great example of how people don't have to go to college and get a degree to be a journalist these days. They may not be professional or follow all the rules, but with social media and technology anyone can record events and share their thoughts about what happened. 

I thought it was intriguing when the article stated, “Incidents such as Grant’s murder illustrate how a single event can rupture the social fabric by reintroducing past injustices (specifically, the 1991 Rodney King beating) and raising critical questions about the nature of law enforcement with regard to minority groups” (page 14). Is this really a bad thing?? Maybe more critical questions about the nature of law enforcement and minority groups should be proposed. I’m interested in hearing what else my classmates have to say about this on their blogs.