picturephoning.com: Watch Out - TV Reporters Are Everywhere

July 15, 2005

Watch Out - TV Reporters Are Everywhere

According to The Korea Times late Wednesday, a 43-year-old reporter from The Chosun Ilbo, one of the most widely read dailies in Korea, identified by his surname Hong, made headlines by allegedly assaulting a taxicab driver and hotel employees in front of the Koreana Hotel in downtown Seoul.

The incident might have ended with little news coverage, but since driver Ahn video-recorded the violent scenes with his cell phone, it gained public attention across the country.

Korea's three major broadcasters KBS, MBC and SBS all aired part of the video clip on Thursday's news programs and it also spread through the Internet, including on
OhMyNews, a popular "citizens' journalism" Web site, causing an uproar.

Sunmoon University professor Hwang Keun says the incident is more profound than people think, because it gives a glimpse into the future of video-based citizen journalism.

"This case demonstrates the possibility that citizen journalism will not be limited to writing and pictures. Now everybody armed with a camcorder phone is a potential TV reporter and Ahn showcased it against a newspaper reporter," Hwang said.

Sogang University professor Hyun Dai-won concurs. "That is an example of personal media. Instead of remaining passive consumers of TV programs, now individuals are ready to produce it," Hyun said."