Ideas for Citizen Journalism projects

1) Citizen Journalism In Russia

2) Representing the Dead (Citizen Journalism as a witness)

3) Russian Nationalism

http://www.gauravonomics.com/blog/citizen-propaganda-in-contemporary-conflicts-the-case-of-israel-gaza-russia-georgia-and-china-tibet/

After a fact-finding trip to Georgia, Ivan Sigal talks about the phenomenon of information vertigo –

In an environment where primary sources of information are opaque and of uncertain reliability (and perception is key here), we encounter the phenomenon of information vertigo.

Information vertigo is the sickening feeling you get when you recognize that nothing reported can truly be verified. Mass media, ostensible eyewitness reports, images, video, documents: all blends into a mush of hearsay when root sources of information have been corrupted.

In the absence of a sense of what to trust, we develop a frantic, aggressive assertion toward what we think we know. It is not just citizen propaganda, but an attempt to establish clear positions in a world void of facts.

Citizen media relies on professional journalism and access to official data, as well as online mechanisms such as comments for verification. In the absence of legitimate information sources, it’s difficult to presume that citizen media could or should have filled the gaps.

Chechnya

http://www.kavkazcenter.com/

This link was given to me by Chechen refugees at Bielany when I was there doing my photo story for Unit 1:1.

Often I was shown by random youths images of violence and Chechen troop action y mobile phone, although most of the young men who were trying to talk to me never took part in the action, they may have seen or experienced the violence and action first hand.

So even though the refugees were escaping the trouble in their homeland they were quite proud to show for example: the rocketing of a civillian car in the mountains of chechnya, telling me profundly that it contained Russian perssonell only. For me I couldnt see that, It could have been Russian civillian refugees or journalists escaping for all I knew; there was a ceartain glee in the faces of the refugees as they showed me these images, leaving a contridiction and a bad taste in my mouth.

Does violence breed violence and hatred breed hatred? or is it always there showing itself in blind. Nationalism on both sides,.

Of course I saw Chechen NGO magazines showing the bodies of tortured young men and women from the 2nd Chechen War to the present Mafia state, and of course we see the TV footage of the anniversary of Beslan and the Theatre sieze on the Russian Channels.

Which is truth, which is propaganda or do they both blur?...in the end maybe its the images we see most of that pertain our truth, and then it must be the Russian and Western media because I can only imagine that unless one visits the refugee camps In Poland etc or is working with Chechen and Russian NGO's in the Caucusses' we don't often see their view of the situation,their impressions and anger, their images of the violence.

The old cliche of war: 'the winners always write history'seems to still be justified at least in the Russian-Caucasus conflicts.

CITIZEN JOURNALISM OR CITIZEN PROPOGANDA?

Ethan Zuckerman, the co-founder of the citizens’ media project Global Voices, notes an interesting angle to the Russo-Georgian Conflict:

Part of the reason this war is such a riddle is that we’ve entered a new phase in contemporary conflict: the world of citizen propaganda… What may be less expected is that citizen media accounts - blogs of eyewitnesses, jouralists [sic] writing in a personal capacity, the writings of people who know and are passionate about the region - are actively engaged in rhetorical warfare as well. Georgian, Russian and Ossetian bloggers - whether off-duty journalists or ordinary citizens - all want the suffering of their group acknowledged on a global stage and are all presenting the conflict from their personal perspectives. These perspectives sometimes include troubling eyewitness accounts, and sometimes include amplification of rumors, usually ones that support that author’s interperative [sic] frame.

CITIZEN JOURNALISM 2009

Citizen war-reporter? The Caucasus test

Evgeny Morozov, 18 - 08 - 2008

The Georgia-Russia war has exposed some of the flaws in the idea of citizen journalism, says Evgeny Morozov.

18 - 08 - 2008

o watch Russian leaders and media make the public case for war with Georgia when the conflict was still in its infancy was also to wonder why at that point there was still so little factual evidence - particularly photos and videos - from observers on the ground in South Ossetia's capital, Tshkinvali. The Kremlin's spokespersons wanted the world to believe that the city had just suffered a Stalingrad-like devastation - though there was as yet no visible proof of the thousands of victims claimed.

It seemed a golden opportunity. After all, Time magazine had famously proclaimed "you" - that is, all of us - its "person of the year" in 2006. Surely news of the award, and the technology to act on it, had reached South Ossetia - so that at least one person would produce a conclusive account of how much damage had been inflicted on the city and its inhabitants. Where, in short, were the citizen journalists?

The screen of war

As the Caucasus war unfolded, those traditional media organisations that still had bureaus anywhere near that exotic part of the world struggled to fly in professional reporters. The Kremlin already had a head-start in winning its domestic public-relations battle: in the absence of much evidence to the contrary, its claims of more than 1,500 victims of "Georgian aggression" found a ready, and outraged, audience. Only later did humanitarian organisations such as Human Rights Watch release reports suggesting that the true number of casualties was much lower and that level of destruction had been greatly overstated; few in Russia seemed to be paying attention by that point.

http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/citizen-war-reporter

' Letter to myself '

hi all

we would like you all to write a 'letter to myself' on your blog to sum up where you think you are at present an where you want to go in the future. This should be an an honest assessment of what you have learned so far on the course, and what areas you are stronger in, and what areas you need to work on developing more - like a strengths and weaknesses assessment exercise
this will help us and you to concentrate on developing your practice more effectively
if you can do this in advance of your first tutorials it would be a great help

thanks paul

Paul Lowe

(could you all please post

a link to your 'letter' to the tutorial slot you are having with john so he can easily find it)

t

I have been asked to write a 'Letter to myself'

I need to manage my time on the course more productively and leave as much time and effort for producing the work as for writing and presenting the finished work.

I am disappointed in my essay for unit 1:1 I know where I went wrong and yet still handed in the work.

Although I did pass and also believe I came up with some original thought and analysis I realise that without backing this up with academic support and sufficient referencing It has no merit.

I did not really do very well in my BA dissertation either, although I think I express my views,influences and arguments well in person and especially In my mind I have a problem really putting this down on paper in a professional academic way. I need to spend as much time on text as I do with my photographs & research.

Grammar and poor referencing let me down. In small defence I did reference In my text and numerous times within my Bibliography, also my word count was correct, but I did not include the Quotes and title etc.

I was pleased with the mark for my Photostory 'Five floors in Bielany' I worked very hard on this document. The mark was justified I think, just my final presentation etc pulled the mark down, this was In part because I thought that we had to present the work on 'Photoshelter'.

I also edited & scanned the work In the last two weeks left to finish both assignments; I should have left more time to edit and develop the work, but as this work, to me is the most marketable and related In part to my essay I decided to use my work on Chechen refugees In Poland for my Unit 1:2.

In need advice In writing critical texts and referencing etc, but I can spend more time researching and practising this, It is important for applying for funding,Grants,competitions or teaching.

In regard to the Photography and story telling,I do believe I have something to say In a original style, which still leans towards the foundation of documentary photography. This is backed up by the great feedback from my peers and teacher.

Not including the difficulties of getting new work from emerging photographers published, I feel at my age I need to be told the truth about my professional prospects and I need help with brutal editing. So far In my photography career since leaving Newport in 2006 I have had good feedback about my work and no reason to feel disheartened, but everything seems to come only to middle distance.

If its possible I need to know how to improve my presentation and images to become more successful, I think a brace editor or agency might see something worthwhile In my work, but how do I convince them so?

Don't get me wrong I have confidence and belief that I am a good photographer with a different and strong idea of the world and its modern,complex issues. I also feel their is a pressure to conform and commercialise my images in some way to gain more recognition and work in today's industry; compromise.

Also I know I only changed career Five years ago, graduating three years ago, so although I'm over 30 I am still beginning.

But I have to face the facts that If something doesn't move for me In this career; be It a commission, agency acceptance, competition etc (I could consider teaching, but I feel I need more success and experience first) then I will have to consider changing career again and continuing my practise possibly in an amateur way only, I cant afford to struggle anymore. Its been Five years now where I have sacrificed nearly everything for photography.

I don't want this to sound like self pity etc; but It is amazing if people like my work,see something different and believe 'I have something' but without getting any work shown or published its hard to take my opportunities seriously.

I shouldn't jump the gun we are just at the start of the course, I enjoy 99% of all aspects of the course and try to participate In as much as I can. I have more chances than most because I am not working most of the time, making great contacts,listening and being helped by great recognised editors and photographers is what makes Paul's course at LCC so worthwhile. I am really looking forward,(despite the bickering) to the group project.

It is still strange 'online' still feels abstract, and even when I see Paul or John at LCC I feel that I couldn't talk to them now, with all their time taken up by us and the full-time course.

I wish that we could at least all meet in person or at least 1-1 with our tutors if we had the chance, at least 2 or 3 times in the two years. Their is still a detachment I feel, but If it wasn't for the online course I wouldn't have been able to attend at all, so in reality I shouldn't complain, I just hope that we have the same opportunities available to us at the end of the course as the F/T students.

Ive wrote and waffled too much already, so to sum up as Paul suggests my aspirations and purpose for the rest of the course and its conclusion:

I have learned to listen more and strengthen my ideas and purpose from my peers and tutors comments.

I'm more tolerant of other photographers their views and practise even If I don't believe In their images, purpose and ideals. I hope I'm less arrogant and more empathetic.

I need to develop better editing & writing skills and experiment with platforms and the web to bring my purpose and images to a wider audience.

I need to back up original thought with facts and accepted academic ideas.

I am a natural photographer and I can gain trust and connection with my subjects, I need to work on this and gain more confidence.

I need the real help of my course tutors to realise this.

Everyone has different experiences and different perspectives on life using photography but with Paul & Johns help if they can help me find out 'where I am' ,'I can find out where to go'.

Towards the end of course I would like to have produced a saleable book on my 'Chechen' work,an exhibition worthy to be examined by the industry experts,at least one published story and gained one commission and a portfolio good enough to apply for Agence Vu.

Thanks