“In Ferguson, Missouri this week, the public has turned the notion of “see something, say something” back on the state, via a digital tool of enormous power: online pictures and video.” said by Dan Gilmore refers to citizens in Ferguson, Missouri that are practicing citizen journalism. Citizen Journalism is “The involvement of non-professionals in reporting news, especially in blogs and other websites”- (Dictionary.com) The citizens are practicing citizen journalism with the use of cell phones, and digital recording cameras. They take photos or videos of something that they think is unjust or unfair,then the person or group of people may post the photo or video on a social media website. This photo or video may then go viral. When a video goes viral it means that it becomes popular through the use of internet sharing. Once a video goes viral it causes awareness across the country and sometimes across the world.
I have lived in Brooklyn, New York my entire life, which means I practically took mass transportation to get from point a to point b. While on the trains and buses I have seen posters that read “If you see something, Say Something,”. I never really thought about what this quote meant, I just thought it was common sense, that if you see something out of the ordinary tell the police. But growing up in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, NY I was always taught to mind my business, and the police were enemies so I never really payed much attention to the quote. Now that I have gotten older and I put some thought into the quote I came up with this definition, “See Something, Say Something” means if something or somebody looks suspicious tell someone in authority. This person in authority can be a police officer or perhaps a train conductor. The person in authority is supposed to get help.
In Ferguson, Missouri an unarmed teenager was gunned down and killed by police (a person in authority). Someone who was not to far from the scene, took a photo of the teenagers dead body, which was on the street for hours and posted the photo on twitter. The photo went viral. These photo showed many Americans, that minorities are still being treated unfairly by people who are supposed to have “authority” and protect us (citizens). People are practicing citizen journalism so that if something happens to them that is not fair, they can show the court, or even the world. Protesters in Ferguson, took the quote “See something, say something ,” literally. They begin to report everything that police were doing that was not fair. Many Police officers across the country are abusing and misusing their power. Protesters and many leaders from across the country have come together to protest. Many police were violating the rights of protesters while they were peacefully protesting. The citizens of Ferguson are now recording every encounter with police. Some of the protesters reported the police to the commissioner’s and are waiting for something to be done about the injustice. Hopefully with this new form of citizen journalism Police officers and other forms of authority will stop abusing their power.
SEE IT, SAY IT 