Last year online video sharing sites helped get the word out  when it came to the violence hitting the streets during the protests in Iran. The haunting images of Neda Agha-Soltan’s death became the symbol of how news can happen at the hands of the people, instead of the networks. Yet another tragedy has occurred and with it comes even more video, shocking in it’s own right. The destruction in Haiti has seen some of the more devastating images that the public has seen since the Sri Lanka Tsunami. How many lives will be lost is still a question that has no answer. The coverage of this event has made me think about how times have changed when big news stories happen. For years, news breaking meant that certain filters had to be utilized to “screen” the actual end result of what hit the airwaves. Now it seems, news can be developed in the eyes of the consumer who holds a camera.

These videos are graphic, please watch with caution

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC3wZIYrmsc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf1wroSx2Q8

On June 16 Charlie Fulton posted a very thought provoking blog. After discovering the new video of Iranian Protestor Neda Soltan’s death that is quickly reaching alarming views on Youtube I decided to give my thoughts on the same issue. Today we live in an age where technology rules, with the click of a button and audience awaits all of us and what we choose to show that audience. The idea that in a place where the media does not have access, the people are using social networks and privately shot video to bring the news to the media is a powerful example of how times have changed since the birth of Youtube & social networks.  It is also alarming and at the same time refreshing to think that people are turning to themselves that there own abilities to bring each other into the know, rather than a tv with a rather one sided point of view. Here are a few more links and media outlets on the story:

click here

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