Really!? The Tsunami changed everything

[Anne Mirtschin]

How could a Tsunami change everything? What has that question got to do with citizen journalism and what is citizen journalism? I am classified a baby boomer and can remember when we got our first television. I was just 10 years old and we could not believe that we could see black and white moving images on a set in our own home. Now, I can take photos with my flip video and put them up on the internet to watch.
Listening to the fascinating and thought provoking keynote address by Richard J. Roth from the Northwestern University in Qatar, at Qatar Academy, Doha made us aware of the role that ordinary citizens can have in journalism. The advent of mobile phones, digital cameras, flip videos, twitter etc has placed in the ‘pockets’ of citizens the powerful possibility that they could be journalists. Could this be the beginning of the end for TV news, television itself, newspapers and magazines? Will we lose our privacy? What responsibilities do we have as citizen journalists? What other digital citizenship issues do you think this possibility raises? Can you cite recent examples from your community or country where a citizen has been the first to capture videos, photos of events that have made the news?
Richard Roth made a statement "that if you do not want your mother to know you are with someone, then do not be with them, as it will be on Youtube within 24 hours".
What are your thoughts?

[Nada Nosseir]

Well, when you put it that way, then privacy can really be an issue. Though I believe that if everyman is for himself then no one should really worry about privacy. I mean unless someone plants videocameras into your bedroom, then you should not have to worry about anything. Regarding the cameras everywhere, if you're walking down the street, I think you already know that everyone can see you, why should you worry about wether you're being filmed/shot.
As for Citizen Journalism, I think it is a very good start, and it is also a good way of widening our news resources. Also, you can chose to believe in the media broadcasted through it, simlarily like how you chose to believe in what you watch on tv or not.

[Hassan Rana]

I think that the video was very interesting beacause what it showed us was that the world is not as dark as it used to be, the internet has opened new doors and shed light upon basically everything. Before people had to use "snail mail" and telegraphs which would take some time to get around the place. Now the matter is that we can have contact with anyone anywhere at anytime in just a matter of seconds. Although it is a very good thing it is also a bad thing because the problem is just as Richard Roth said "that if you do not want your mother to know you are with someone, then do not be with them, as it will be on Youtube within 24 hours". This is a big problem because even though we have access does it mean that our problem is that we have all access but we are giving away our privacy? or does it just mean that we can be open with each other and secrets will definatly be harder to keep?

[Dillon B.]

The Tsunami has had a major impact around the world because so many people video taped and recorded the events hence leading to citizen journalism. Citizen journalism is where a citizen takes videos, pictures or talks about recent events around the world without the help of the media. I dont know what to think if citizen journalism could take over the TV news business, it might help to increase it because many people might submit what ever they recorded while the TV news will organize it. Same goes to newspapers and magazines, yet they might disappear in time since they will be too "old". I dont think we will lose our privacy because if we find a way to lose it, we will find a way to gain it back, like everything else in the world. Its like having a hacker, and later one we created anti-hacker software. Citizen journalists will record what ever is going on in their daily lives and whats going on around them. Such as if there was a lost dog, they might record a notice of the event. Facebook and twitter are two examples of citizen journalism since people record recent activities.