Web 2.0 has changed reporting as we know it. This is especially apparent with combatant-reporters from Iraq — real soldier correspondents eager to share what they have seen and experienced with the rest of the world. For my assignment this week, I have been asked to explore various military blogs (aka miliblogs) as well as any other blogs and YouTube clips pertaining to the war.
The shear mass and detailof reports and footage coming from soldiers in Iraq and other parts of the world is simply incredible. The Internet, with its Web 2.0 features, brings it all to us instantly, with a click of a mouse. Gone are the days when we have to wait for the morning paper, or a magazine, to see or read about breaking news updates or graphic photos of a major event. (FYI, Without a functional updated website, Life Magazine has still yet to fully embody Web 2.0 which is not in their best interest since the popularity of individual blogs and Flickr sites have been overwhelming) – Update: Wow, I’m a space cadet. Thanks, Crystal, for letting me know that Life folded last year. However, reports show that they intend to keep their website.
I believe that seeing and reading about the war is a good thing, although hard to stomachat times. It is in America’s best interest to have this much access to the front lines and show the reality of the war to as many people as possible in order to make our country feel directly connected to it. This new way of sharing information provides us with a broader understanding of the war leading us to make properly informed opinions of the war, and hence appropriate decisions on what should be done. Blogs and YouTube clips from combatant-reporters also provide Americans with alternative views of the war that perhaps the mainstream media left out. Colby Buzzell, a famous blogging soldier, agrees in his blog when he talks about military bloggers,
In the sleepy on-base hours between missions, they share their stories directly with the world, unfiltered by the biases of the “mainstream media” many of them distrust.
Also, I read about one of the biggest online controversies involving Kevin Sites’ video clip. While being an independent journalist in Iraq, Mr. Sites videotaped a soldier shooting a wounded and unarmed Iraqi. Mr. Sites provides an in-depth explanation about his experience, as well as the aftermath of releasing his video to the world in the following YouTube clip:
From blogs to Flickr to Twitter to YouTube, soldier-reporters have a lot to show and tell us, and it is in our best interest to watch and listen.
