May 27, 2004
The Accidental Journalist
Eric Lin for the TheFeature.com has written an insightful article on how everyone today has become an instant journalist... whether they intend to be or not.
"[...] The soldiers in Iraq weren't trying to make a political statement or make the news when they posted pictures of Abu Ghraib. Pretty much every soldier has a digital camera and internet access they use to share their experience with people back home. Not only does this make every soldier a reporter, it also makes him a one man oversight committee.
Just as the soldiers didn't intend to be reporters, they were (even still are) also an unwitting sousveillance machine. Only instead of civilians watching the government from below, they are participants watching from within.
The Pentagon is concerned enough that they don't want any digital transmissions leaking from the field without their approval - though rumor of a ban on all digital cameras is highly exaggerated". Read full article.
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