From cellphone videos exposing horrific police violence in the US, to activists on Twitter demanding accountability for a crippling garbage problem in Beirut, to media collectives in Rio organizing Whatsapp groups to notify favela residents of nearby shootings — this past year we have seen social media and technology used in compelling ways to shed light on injustices and call for change.
However, with major platforms like Facebook and Twitter constantly changing, and new apps emerging nearly every day, it’s often hard to determine which of these tools and strategies are the best fit for a campaign or organization, and it can be difficult to navigate the ethical dilemmas that arise when consuming and sharing social media.
Recently I was invited to discuss some of these challenges and successes with experts from Justice League NYC, Global Citizen and the Undisclosed podcast. The conversation, moderated by Tara Conley of Race Forward, touched on the role of citizen journalism and mainstream media in times of crises, the ethics of using citizen media in reporting and advocacy, social media campaign strategies, and working with celebrities to increase engagement.
Thanks to our friends at audioBoom who organized the event and turned it into an hour-long podcast. The segments will be released from December 1st – 10th. We invite you to listen to the beginning of the discussion below and visit audioBoom’s website or follow them on Twitter or Facebook for the latest clips.
Clip 1:
Brandon Blackburn-Dwyer (Global Citizen) discusses how social media can be used in beautiful ways to build solidarity and organize, but it can also cause harm.
Clip 2:
Susan Simpson (Undisclosed), Jackie Zammuto (WITNESS), Carmen Perez (Justice League NYC) and Brandon Blackburn-Dwyer (Global Citizen) discuss the role that social media plays in the wake of global tragedies and other important events.
Relevant Resources: Read more of what we have to say on this in topic on this blog post about Alyan Kurdi, Adam Ward and Alison Parker.
Clip 3:
Jackie Zammuto (WITNESS), Carmen Perez (Justice League NYC) and Brandon Blackburn-Dwyer (Global Citizen) share their thoughts on how indie or more community-originated media can compliment, influence or avoid the mistakes and bias of mainstream media.
Relevant Resources: Check out our materials on Obtaining Informed Consent, Video as Evidence and Ethical Guidelines for Using Eyewitness Video in Human Rights Reporting and Advocacy.
Visit audioBoom to listen and share the rest of the clips.