We read with some interest an article first appearing in the Drudge Report on 02/11/07. We quote a paragraph from that article:
" 'NowPublic' and 'YouWitnessNews' have formed alliances
with traditional international news wire services and
provide them photos or other worthy content."
Aside from the peculiar grammar, which is so prevalent in these days of ill-educated editors, writers and bloggers, we have here the beginning of what could be heaven or hell. As with most "exciting new ideas" today, I am betting on hell.
The idea is that since there are now millions upon millions of everyday individuals around the world who skulk with cell phone cameras hooked-up with access to the www, we now have, to quote the article, "an army" of wannabe news photographers/reporters around the world. "NowPublic" and "YouWitnessNews," as their names imply, will publish on their respective websites, or provide to other sites (after some vague standards review) digital photos taken by anyone with a camera who just happens to witness and capture anything which might be considered newsworthy. Which today can mean anything.
So, for example, should some terrorists commit an act of "resistance" anywhere in the world, "NowPublic" and "YouWitnessNews" will have access to photos taken by any man-woman-or-child-on-the-street who happens to be there when the event happens. Moreover, they will contact individuals who they know live near the event, and ask them to go take pictures. Thereby the web will have virtually instantaneous news photos posted for all to see. Of course "NowPublic" and "YouWitnessNews" won't be paying for these photos - pfff! No, that would be considered venal wouldn't it? No, the newsbies will do it for the fame, glory and potential who-knows-what? Pulitzer Prizes? Oh yeh, there will be a way for viewers to donate money to the taker of that photo or video. Candid Camera meets a Jerry Lewis Telethon.
So why hell? Today, everything thought to be good becomes perverted almost as soon as it is introduced. So for one example, now everybody gets the chance to see someone dying. Death as entertainment. You're in an ambulance accompanying a dying friend or relative, say your Aunt Anna Nicole. A paramedic aide lurks in the background offering sympathies while, unnoticed by you, his camera is recording the event. Next day, there's Aunt Anna, croaking all over the internet courtesy of "NowPublic" and "YouWitnessNews."
Can you see all the phony altered, PhotoShopped and edited photos showing up as "news"? Manufactured "news coverage" virtually undetectable. Can you imagine the staged phony "news" events as we have already seen many times? Theater as news.
How about crime scene photos, real or manufactured, which will impact legal trials and law suits? This type of "evidence" may show up after the fact, plunging the legal system into chaos? You get mugged. You're in a terrible auto accident. You are the victim. You wind up testifying in court. But someone you don't even know or never even saw presents his video or photo to the court as evidence, and those images appear show a different story. You were not at fault, however the pictures make it look like you caused the accident or provoked your own mugging.
The end of "The Good Samaritan;" witnesses to events more eager to get photos than to help victims. Of course there's nothing new there but this will simply exacerbate man’s worst instincts. Great hordes of camera-phone-wielding newsbies harassing anyone of note anywhere they go, searching for the slightest opportunity to become a news "star." Maybe you have a co-worker infatuated with you. But you rebuff them. Next day you're picking your nose in front of a million viewers on "NowPublic" and "YouWitnessNews."
Arguments over who took what photo — people at the same event, at the same time, taking virtually the same exact pictures. Who wins the Pulitzer?
Worst of all, collusion between, oh, let me see... oh yeh, terrorists and "newsbies." We're on our way to a Nick Berg a day. Can't you just hear the whispers? "Hey Muhammad, you guys blow up that (enter your favorite target here) and I'll get your group’s name on the news within five minutes! Whaddaya say, Hommy...it's win-win. You get a lot of publicity for your cause, and I win a Pulitzer!?"
Today, everything thought to be good is turned bad by the lure of gold or glory.
