Behind the Citizen Journalism Revolution

The recent disasters that devastated some Indian Ocean countries, the Philippines, Vietnam, China and some others have demonstrated absolutely what the Internet can achieve in making the world tell of similar events. Even if there are television stations and channels associated worldwide that convey news to the many homes of the world, on the more personal level the Internet is more efficient and comprehensive. It can reveal the panorama of damage, the heartrending stories and the courage of some in manners that ordinary news structures are helpless of, or at least are not set to.

Take for example the deluge that filled the cities and nearby communities of Manila, Philippines. Through the Internet, involved Internet-familiar persons sent out emergency information of any locations including pictures and short videotapes, pleas for quick and more extended help, and the things people invent to handle or respond to the emergency they must cope with. Lots of these video vignettes or digital snapshots were transmitted electronically —read via the Internet— to news and television channels coordinating rescue or aid undertakings. The sent petitions were in turn forwarded to those heading the operations resulting in many people being retrieved just in the nick of time.

In making use of the Internet, the people applied the more popular social media sites, uploading the pictures and videos in their own places and those of the TV networks. Thus the electronic videos were at once received by many of those concerned, and, in the instance of the networks, broadcast at once. The public was apprised of the occurrences simply a little time after these developments occurred and thus many were aware how large the calamity was. Hence the effects were tremendous responses from other people and even those who were distressed, if just slightly, by the floods. Overseas Filipinos from all places also helped, often unnamed.

This event and related ones that happened recently are simply illustrations on the manner the Internet news varieties and arrangements revolutionized and are changing the world and societies in general. Its penetration of the long ago ‘Bamboo Curtain’ —or Communist China— made possible for the populace of that country to behold what is taking place in the everywhere else so that, experts say, it pressured the leadership to create some controlled capitalism there, besides Hong Kong. Nowadays millions of mainland Chinese (as recognized apart from overseas Chinese), particularly the youth, are using the Internet and very much onto the events in the world.

The creation of the Internet can be considered one of the best and basic occurrences that concerned the world, same with the creation of the wheel, numbers and maybe the telephone. This is because the Internet permitted instant world communications for everyone without very big spending and trouble. The spreading of personal knowledge is these days more rapid and more comprehensive via the social sites –Web2.0— in addition to the prior electronic mail technologies or Web 1.0. The same can be judged about sales, called Internet promotion, done by Internet entrepreneurs.

At any rate, the Internet has amended the manner people interact with others in society. It has brought people closer, if not physically at least virtually, setting off with news about each other.