Read “Ferguson’s citizen journalists revealed the value of an undeniable video” — also handed out in class
Read “10 Hours in Ferguson – A Visual Timeline”
Write a 500 word blog post answering the following questions:
Due: Sept 12, 9:00 am
1. What was the role of citizen journalism in the protests in Ferguson, MO?
2. Who is Antonio French? Why is he an important person in this story?
3. How did citizen journalism change the narrative of what was happening in Ferguson?
4. Dan Gillmor writes: “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.” What does he mean by this?
5. What does “See Something, Say Something” mean to you? How does citizen journalism and the protests in Ferguson change this meaning?
SEE IT, SAY IT 
1. The role of citizen journalism in the Ferguson, Missouri was to show the other side of the homicide of Mike Brown. Citizen journalists seconds after the shooting posted tweets and pictures in shock on how an officer can shoot an unarmed teen. Citizen journalists in Ferguson also posted videos, pictures, and statements on social media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube showing law enforcements’ radical tactics to subdue protesters.
2. Antonio French is a man from St. Luis that posted numerous updates of photos and videos on Twitter of demonstrators and police action on his cell phone. French is an important person to the Ferguson controversy and national headlines because French was taken into custody and was asked to stop documenting law enforcements actions.
3. Citizen journalism changed the narrative of the shooting death of Michael Brown from an altercation with the police officer to the murder of an African-American teen. With eyewitness reports, pictures, videos, and statements of people witnessing and hearing the shooting of Michael Brown. With no news coverage in the hours after the shooting Michael Brown’s death was able to reach national headlines in a matter of minutes. Citizen journalism showed us the other side of the story that the police did not want the public to know.
4. In Dan Gillmor’s quote the states that we turned away from “see something say something”, and turn back to using the social media as a tool in society. What Gillmor means by this is that the citizens in Ferguson no longer trust their law enforcement. This is evident in the article title “10 Hours in Ferguson: A Visual Timeline of Michael Brown’s Death and Its Aftermath” by Julia Lurie that depicts protesters sharing as local law enforcement leave the area hours after Michael Brown’s death.
5. To me see “something say something” means if you see a crime or any potential public hazard you can approach any former authority and they will handle it as such. This includes police brutality, domestic abuse, assault and battery, and public intoxication, no matter who the perpetrators are. Nobody should be able including law enforcement. Everybody’s life holds the same value, everybody has family to go back, friends to spend time and memories to be made. No event should go unheard. In Ferguson, Missouri law enforcement attempted to cover wrote Michael Brown’s death. The police department within hours had picked up Michael Brown’s body, sent that the autopsy, and clean the crime scene before national news presence had arrived. The citizens of Ferguson knew that something was strange and therefore took action. They knew police would not listen to them and even restricted their rights to freedom of speech, so they took their voices to a place that could be heard. If it wasn’t for the photos, the videos, and eyewitness accounts, Michael Brown’s death would have went unheard. Now should be change to “see something tape something”.
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Great content, but you can actually post this as a “New Post.” Thanks!
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