Saturday, October 25, 2008

Let's Go YouTubing

YouTube is the first thing that comes to mind when I think about everyday folks participating in politics and journalism in technology-enabled ways. With a video camera (which often come in the form of cell phones) and an Internet connection, anyone can capture news and share with it with the world.

When George Allen used the word “macaca” to address S.R. Sidarth, a volunteer for Jim Webb’s campaign, during a campaign stop during the 2006 Virginia Senate race, a video of the incident was published on YouTube within days. The video provided undeniable truth about the incident and helped give the story legs that it otherwise might not have had, perhaps because Allen's comments were offensive in several ways, and watching the entire video makes clear that his intent is mean-spirited.) On one version of video, there have been dozens of comments left in the last week alone, which leads me to think it is still causing waves.

YouTube also allows people to express their political views in ways that they themselves find meaningful. There are countless homemade music videos created to honor and disparage candidates. Search for your favorite candidate plus the word “music” to find something that fits your taste. Simple searches will also produce videos of random soliquies and pitches for nearly anyone running for office.

And, of course, if I can find something that resonates with my political views on YouTube, I can post it to my Facebook page (or nearly any other social networking site) with the click of a button. Which makes it incredibly easy for a non-YouTuber to utilize the technology as well.

2 comments:

Robyn said...

I agree with Stacey's assessment of YouTube. It is a great resource for journalists and the public.

From a journalism perspective, it is an effective tool for fact-checking regarding questionable content. It can provide proof of claims - often giving a story legs, where it may not have had them on pure heresay.

YouTube also provides users a more complete interaction, allowing users to hear and see what's happening.

John said...

I think this also speaks to the incredible impact a video has when it goes viral. Where else can that happen except on the Internet? But, as we talked about in class I think, how far can a false story spread before all the fact-checking in the world won't put an evil genie back in the bottle, and lies become reality?