EOTO Project: Alternate Media & Citizen Journalism

Many of us use our normal, mainstream forms of news, such as CBS, NBC, ESPN, etc., but there is a form of underground news that is not part of the usual stream of media. Enter: alternative media. In a world where we mainly use mainstream sources, alternative media and citizen journalism allow for people to extend upon their first amendment right to freedom of expression and freedom of the press. This allows for smaller outlets to create news for minority and smaller groups, like the poor, LGBTQ, and political and ethnic minorities. While mainstream media covers the general news and common happenings, as well as adds their own bias, alternative media outlets look to push out the best news possible and give their audience the truth and findings that the corporate media won't show or talk about, without implementing their own opinions into their writings and productions.

What Is Alternate Media?

John Downing describes alternate media as a form of news, "that express an alternative vision to hegemonic policies, priorities, and perspectives." Many major outlets look to pump out the news that is very generic and doesn't quite show the whole picture. Smaller outlets do just the opposite. They look to give their audience and viewers a real, up-close look at what is really happening when it comes to certain events and issues around the world. 

Christian Fuchs, a professor of Media at the University of Westminster, states that alternative media must have four elements to be considered what it is:

  1. The audience must be involved with what is put out by alternative media

  2. Must be different from mainstream media

  3. Should create a perspective that's different from that of the state/major corporations

  4. Establish different types of relationships with the state and market

The main idea of what makes a media outlet underground or minor is distancing itself as far away from traditional media as possible. That could also mean showing what the news doesn't, including issues surrounding human rights and environmental units. Smaller outlets have exposed child soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo and human trafficking in the United States. Others have brought attention to issues surrounding nature, such as deforestation, climate change, overfishing, etc. 

Citizen Journalism

Alternative media wouldn't be able to exist without citizens documenting their findings on current events. In an age where technology, such as our phones and laptops, have made it easier to share our thoughts and writings, it's become easier than ever for the average person to become a journalist. Many of the issues that smaller platforms cover are led by citizens who have strayed away from mainstream media to help spread the actual happenings of events and how much they really impact others. Jay Rosen puts them as, "the people formerly known as the audience," which is the main mission of alternative media as a whole as well.

Many of the eyewitness stories from the 9/11 attacks were recorded by citizen journalists. Images and other accounts taken down by these journalists help magnify the events that happened that day even more so than they already were. Without citizen journalism, many things would be left unheard about or not covered in extensive detail or not to its full potential.

Forms of Alternative Media

As expected, underground media can be found in your usual forms of news, such as online, in paper forms, and through videos. But there are other forms of alternative media you may not realize.

Twitter and other social media platforms are filled with alternative media sources, as the form of communication is used by millions around the world and is becoming the number one way for people to obtain their news. Media doesn't just have to relate to news, however. Graffiti and street art are considered forms of underground media, as it operates free from the confines of the art world. Much of street art is used to even speak out against certain political and social issues and is a way for citizens to express their dislikes in a way that's separate from the structured ways of art.

Speaking of the arts, alternative mediums are also found in performances and music. Many theater performances or plays can be tied to issues in society and are used to express the emotions felt by one self or others affected by it. In music, indie rock or pop are genres in which the bands or artists are tied to contracts created by major record labels, allowing the music creators more freedom with what they choose to put out to their listeners. One of the more notable indie artists to win a Grammy was Macklemore and Ryan Lewis back in 2014 when they took home three golden record player trophies. 

In summary...

While many of us will most likely stick to our mainstream uses of news, it's important to dig deeper and do some more research when it comes to certain events and issues around the globe, as other outlets may have more up-close encounters and personal interactions when covering these topics. Sure, the corporate news outlets may be very reliable and easy to follow, but the extra research that could be done to be more knowledgeable about what is going on without bias and vague reports hiding what's really going, could change your whole perspective on what news really is.

ANTIWAR

I would bet that a majority of the world's population does not agree with war, or the idea that war needs to happen in order for issues to be resolved. Those who tried to speak out against war were silenced by our nations government, who at the time believed speaking out against war was deemed unpatriotic and didn't promote nationalism. Now, in modern times, we as citizens are allowed to speak out against war, and going as far as protesting without restraint or punishment for doing so. But even in todays mainstream media, there are few articles about anti-war promotion or discussion. Why? Simply because that is not what gets media its views. Other topics or people who simply don't want to bring dominate the media we see regularly.

When talking about why leaders are motivated to conduct war, two things are brought up: money and control. With war comes the use of new inventions of violence, which can be used on the battlefield. In Alex Roland's A Nation Must Think Before it Acts, he talks about the use of the nuclear bomb and how, "it will run counter to the sorry record of prior human civilization, when each new instrument of war contributed to the carnage without altering the human nature Thucydides believed to be at the heart of war." By creating these new weapons, Roland and the greek philosopher Thucydides believed it would cause the downfall of mankind itself.

Even with articles such as Roland's and others that disagree with war, there is still very few voices about anti-war found in the media today. In a world where we preach to future generations to be kind to others and to treat others how we would want to be treated in return, we still wage war in order to gain control and to build up our economy and create jobs. Former US President Abraham Lincoln once said, "I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends," hinting that instead of using weapons to create a compromise, we must befriend our enemies and learn form them instead of tearing them down.

EOTO Reflection

This past Thursday, we were asked to present our EOTO projects, which asked us to research an invention in technology. While I was assigned social media, along with a couple others, we also were able to listen to other people's findings. There were two main technologies that I enjoyed listening to: mail pigeons and the other social media presentations.

While it may not be fair to say I enjoyed listening to the other social media presentations, they were interesting to hear. Other people found facts I didn't;t find on my own, such as in the second one, where the presenter linked social media to early phone operators, which required someone to connect a plug into an outlet in order to transfer a call. They also talked about topics such as FOMO and self-esteem issues, which were briefly mentioned in my own presentation, but was covered much more in-depth in the other two. I also found similarities between the presentations. The first presenter mentioned the film "The Social Dilemma", which I also watch and covered in my slides and blog. While it was not a new technology I learned, it was still good to hear other peoples' findings on the same topic.

The other technology I thought was interesting to learn about was carrier pigeons. I would always see them in movies and other forms of media but I never considered how they work. Learning how they used grains and other training methods on the pigeons was interesting and fascinating. When you think about it more, almost all animals are trainable, but to train a bird on where to go exactly is something that you don't really think about critically. I applaud the person who chose that invention, as it was a very interesting choice, but they made it easy to follow and learn about.

EOTO Project - Social Media

Throughout time, we as humans have valued communication and have used it for centuries, in order to progress in life. Beginning with early forms of structured languages, we have since upgraded to horseback mail, to then a postal service, and then emails and text messaging. We now live in the present 21st century where a fairly new form of communication has emerged: social media.

Simply put, the definition of social media can be defined as an interactive program that is filled with user-generated content, to share information, communicate, share ideas and opinions, and other forms of creative expression. All platforms include a profile that is designed and maintained by the social media organization. The top apps and platforms that can be found today include Snapchat, Instagram, and Youtube. I use all three and have found these apps to be very helpful when it comes to some tasks, but also found some downsides to them. But it's important to study social media's early history before discussing its impact on modern society.

History

In 1960, at the University of Illinois, PLATO (Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations) was born. It was the first generalized computer-assisted instruction system. It was designed to teach students and people alike through digital coursework assigned by the mainframe. What made it more unique were its early versions of instant messaging and chat rooms, which can be found in many social media apps today. It continued to be upgraded and used for several years after.

31 years later, Tim-Berners Lee developed the World Wide Web, which became the main station for using the internet as we know it today. This also allowed chat rooms to develop and became public for others to use (example: AOL). 

Other early forms of online communication were GeoCities (1994), Classmates (1995), and SixDegrees (1997). SixDegrees was considered to be the very first social networking site, according to CBS News.

Social Media Used Today

I think it's a fair statement to say that a large majority of the world's population uses some form of social media regularly, if not at least once. I will bet money that everyone has at least used YouTube to learn how to fix something or to tie a tie (guilty). A 2015 study showed that the world population spent 22% of their time on social media. The largest platform today is Facebook, with over 2,190,000,000 users across the globe. it is followed by YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, and WeChat. 

Social media has had an impact on all audiences, young and old. For adults, it was the perfect tool for communicating with doctors and health sites, especially during the pandemic. Muhammad Said, Faculty of Social and Political Science at Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia says, "Social media have become popularly used to seek medical information and have fascinated the general public to collect information regarding coronavirus pandemics in various perspectives." 

In terms of business, social media is there to help too. Many companies have their own profiles to help market their product and to keep customers updated on what is happening. It can be used for news updates too. Twitter has become the place tube on to get news fast.

Children are involved with social media as well. In the pandemic, about 67% of minors used YouTube to collect the social interaction we need as humans. However, many sites don't allow minors to interact on their platforms, and yet they still use them. 31% of 8-12-year-olds use apps like, Snap and Instagram, point to one of the many flaws of this invention.

Criticism/Flaws

When I was in high school, my parents made me watch a Netflix documentary titled "The Social Dilemma" and I didn't think anything of it at first. Looking back, I'm glad they made me watch it, as it was eye-opening to what happens on social media. The film essentially brings in former employees of big tech companies, such as Google and Twitter, to highlight the social and cultural impact of social media usage regularly, with a focus on the platforms' algorithms that are designed to create psychological manipulation based on the users' interests. 

Going back to children being affected by social media, using it at such a young age can lead to traumatizing interactions on the internet. This includes being exposed to actions and images of alcohol, violence, drugs, and sexual behaviors. Most social media platforms don't have a strict privacy monitor in place to prevent this.

Sites can also have faulty news sources. Although there are numerous outlets for findings news, there are some that present or release fake reports that aren't true or proven by verified outlets. These accounts try to get people to believe something false by having other fake accounts release the same news, manipulating people into thinking it is real because it was reported by other profiles.

Infographic of Social Media's Impact on Mental Health

In a day and age where we also see many acts of activism and protest, social media plays a factor in this. Malcolm Gladwell of The New Yorker says it's harder for expression and demand to have an impact if done through social media. Participation has increased with the rise of social platforms, but it's, "lessening the level of motivation that participation requires." In other words: Reposting an Instagram post about a topic people are upset about will not make an impact on the problem itself. 

Speaking of Instagram, let's focus on another subject that falls under this platform: social comparison. A common problem we see on this app is people comparing themselves to other people they see on the app. This can lead to lowered self-esteem, jealousy, and FOMO (fear of missing out). People will post good events on their profile and others may take it the wrong way, as in wishing that was them and feeling less about themselves. 

Lastly, cyberbullying. As someone who has seen and encountered cyberbullying multiple times, it's hard to combat. You have someone hiding behind this profile, completely oblivious to any real-life punishments or consequences unless the conversation and actions escalate and become a dangerous situation in person. This is another problem that can lead to decreased mental health in people.

Overall

While it may seem I have bashed social media for all that it is, the idea of it is not entirely bad. Does it have some flaws that need to be worked out? Yes. Do humans need to be more aware of what happens on social media and how it can affect you and others? Definitely. Will the people in charge of the platforms take action and make measures to better their online communities so that people can enjoy them without the consequences discussed before?

Unfortunately, I don't know.

But that doesn't mean the platforms themselves aren't worth our time. In a modern world, technology is everywhere and has significantly helped the working world become more efficient in how we do things. I do think this is one of the better inventions of our time and it has helped us in many ways. Even with the many growing negatives it has, we must learn to use it properly so that we may prosper off of it, rather than crumble.

Eight Values of Free Expression

 In a country where we have the privilege to express our views and say our opinions out loud without government restriction, we find ourselves still silenced when trying to express ourselves. Although we are given these freedoms, we still today find ourselves silenced by our own forms of expression. In more recent news, Twitter paid a whistle-blower $7 Million over questioning their sites security measures. Reflecting on measures like this makes us ponder what it really means to be free and was falls under the category "free speech". This is arguably the most important right and amendment we have in this country, so we as citizens will feel a certain way when that is limited or taken from us. To help understand this, there are the eight values of free expression, which is a summary of values created by scholars to explain why the first amendment is so important to us in this country

When looking through the values, there are many that stick out to me, with the first one being Stable Change. This simply states that people who are angry by certain actions are allowed to share their distaste for them, or "vent" their frustrations. Allowing people to vent their frustrations causes a more stable society and is less likely to lead to violent actions. A good example of this can be led back to the French Revolution. In the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, the French people declared freedom of speech and the abolishment of censorship in response to the monarchy's policies and restrictions on free speech. Of course in the following years, there were many violent acts committed, including the public beheading of many political figures, including King Louis XVI, the head of the monarch system during the Revolution. This is a prime example of the backing of the Stable Change value.

Another value I found interesting, and also one that is seen in everyday life was the Promote Innovation value, created by Jack Balkin. This states that "a community in which free speech is valued and protected is likely to be a more energized, creative, interesting society as its citizens actively fulfill themselves in many diverse and interesting ways." By having free expression, one can create a more diverse society and also be more welcoming of more ideas. Governments that restrict this usually have more like-minded thinking and result in a less creative and diverse society, which can be harmful to the people and country. Limiting speech can harm a person's potential to being an important role in society, as their ideas and imagination could be something useful for others around them, even in areas such as economics.

One value that relates closely to me was the first one on the list: Marketplace of Ideas. Made by John Milton, the theory states that, "when truth and falsehood are allowed to freely grapple, the truth will win out. And the grappling makes the truth even stronger." As someone who is studying the media field and is actively involved in it, I need to figure out what is the truth and what is false. Milton states that even when truths and falsehoods are thrown at you, the truths will always win out. And that taking the time to sort out what is right and wrong, will only make the correct reports and findings even better. This is a value that directly correlates with media today and people must eventually learn what to believe and not believe when it comes to media outlets and their content.

Reading through these theories has been very helpful in my understanding of the first amendment and the values that are implemented into it. Along with that, it has also helped me feel more appreciative of my right to free expression. There are many countries with governments that heavily limit, or even banned it completely, this right and it's important we as a society take the time to realize this. Our government is not perfect in any way, shape, or form, but we do have a right to tell and say that because that is our job as citizens: to use our rights to better shape our country for the better, not just for ourselves, but also our future society.

The United States Supreme Court

 We have been taught in every level of education, from elementary school to high school, about how the different branches of government work and how checks and balances help disperse the powers of government equally between all three branches. In the Judicial branch, we find ourselves learning about the Supreme Court, an important part of the justice system and is the pedestal of the American court system. Formed through the early years of the US Constitution, the Supreme Court checks the other two branches of government as well, which are the Executive (President) and Legislative (Congress) branch.

After reading the article created by the History Channel, there was one major thing I did not know about was in 1790, the first group of supreme court justices were set to meet in New York, but was unable to due to transportation issues at the time. However, they were all able to meet and discuss the following day, even though no cases were heard by the court. Instead, they spent their time discussing procedures and how they would go about reviewing and voting on cases. The court would continue to hold two circuit courts a year to discuss plans for more than 100 years until 1891, when Congress shut down this rule due to the unbearable traveling conditions then.

Another fact I did not know about the Supreme Court was the rule set in place my the first President, George Washington. The Judiciary Act of 1789 made it so there were six justices and that each of them would serve as such until they died or retired. Since then, we now have expanded nine justices, due to the Judiciary Act of 1869, set in place by President Ulysses S. Grant, according to an article written by the National Constitution Center in 2018

The biggest take away from this article was that the Supreme Court "has the ultimate jurisdiction over all laws within the United States and is responsible for evaluating the constitutionality of those laws." This means that the Supreme Court is in charge of enforcing the Constitution and laws of America and determining the extend of those laws. Their decisions on cases also determine smaller cases that don't make it to the Supreme Court level. 

Reading this article and listening to our lecture in class has helped me understand more the history of the Supreme Court and the Judicial Branch. Knowing how our countries justice system operates and how it got here is important to me as an American, as this is an important branch of our government and determines what is lawful and what is not.