September 11th, 2001, is a defining moment for all of us. It changed us in the ways we think about our safety and our awareness of the world. 9/11 not only made a huge impact on the world, but also on journalism. This major event changed the way news was reported. Trying to get a hold of anyone on the East Coast at this horrific moment was nearly impossible. Because phone lines were down and CNN was in overload, many people turned to the internet to get any information, such as photos or videos, from their friends and loved ones near the chaos. Also, after the tragic event, many that were effected turned to blogs searching for a way to find information and connect with others that had also lost someone in the disaster.
There is a clear before and after shown on the internet. Before 9/11 most phones didn’t have cameras and at the time what the heck was YouTube? E-mail became a source of contact and suddenly blogs were emerging. Imagine if Kim Kardashians tush could “break the internet” then just imagine what this would do today. If a catastrophe like this happened today we would most likely turn to our friends and family first, then the social media, and lastly the news.
Another major event that changed bystander into accidental journalists were the London Bus Bombing of 2005. Of course, at this time it was a more convenient to become a citizen journalist considering that cell phones had cameras and videoing on your phone was a lot quicker than waiting for news crew to show up.
I remember last year in March there was a big earth quake in California that woke me up, but when I went to go check on my parents they were still fast asleep and had no idea what I was talking about. So naturally, I turned to my Facebook app and there it was, several of my friends had also been woken up and were posting pictures from the damage that was done near their houses. In present day, with all the technological advances such as social media, smart phones, and high speed internet we can now instantly confirm or deny any information we come across. It’s truly amazing that in a time of crisis we are able to open our Twitter app and connect to people like Anderson Cooper or even the President and see what they are reporting about it.
Categories: Citizen Journalism
Tags: 9/11, New York, Crisis, Email, Landlines, Impact, CNN, Tragic, Blogs, Connections, YouTube, Kim Kardashian, Social Media, London Bus Bombings, Faster, California, Earthquakes, Facebook, Twitter, Smart Phones.
Text And The City 