EOTO #2 - REACTION

CITIZEN JOURNALISM

I enjoyed this presentation because of the nature of social media's current day presence. As a society, we are lucky to be so technologically advanced because of the good that can be done from it. The First Amendment allows us to be able to create content and share information, no matter our opinion or view. Citizen Journalism has been very beneficial in making everyone more aware on what's going on

One of the examples that was given during this presentation was the devastation of Hurricane Helene's damage to Western North Carolina. Since this storm was very dangerous and brought on more damage than what could've possibly been imagined, residents are very grateful for the ability to post to social media platforms. With major flooding and lack of electricity, there were thousands of people struggling and wiped out of their homes and didn't know when help/aide was going to reach them. Thankfully, some people were able to use their phones and platforms to post pictures and videos to not only make the public aware of what was going on but also to let their friends and family know they were okay. During this time, the media and news sources lacked the ability to speak on what was actually happening in that part of the state. Without the ability of the residents to produce content, the storm could've left thousands of more people dead. People were using Facebook to create a page for Asheville to allow for check-ins and updates. This allowed residents to be kept more "in the know" and have hope that help was on the way. 

The JFK assassination was also brought up as an example and how society benefited from the ability for citizens to post videos. Abraham Zapruder was able to get a clip of the assassination which was then given to the Secret Service to help with their investigation. From this example we can see that justice was able to be given because of Zapruder's video and that is remarkable. 

These are two great examples that she had given during her presentation. They both go to show the benefits from this type of journalism. A simple act allows justice to be served and help to be given. There are some issues with Citizen Journalism though, mainly because citizens have free rains. It may not always be done with the intent to do good. With the freedom to post and say anything, false information or narratives can be given. This is why while we can benefit from this form of journalism, it is important to ensure you remain informed and checking with your sources before taking any action.