[liberationtech] the vee-jays of Syria...

[Katrin Verclas]

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Some excellent reporting from my colleague Melissa on the strategic use of video (and BGANs...) to create the story of the Syrian rebellion by media activists or vee-jays (video journalists) of Syria:  http://www.mobilemediatoolkit.org/activist-media-frontlines-mobile-strategic-and-much-more-just-being-right-place-right-time.  Really some fantastic stuff about strategies, tactics, and challenges of something that is very unique to Syria (even if Egyptian activists pre-trialted some of the tactical approaches that Syrians now use as well.)

The use of very strategic video and reporting from the frontlines by activists,  crafting a coherent narrative of the uprising is truly remarkable.  There is a new Channel 4 documentary as well about VJ/activists which we excerpt in our article, and which the Daily Beast features as well http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/03/27/syrian-rebels-caught-embellishing-on-tape.html - unfortunately with lots of attention on the one incidence that the activists embellished. 

All of this raises some very interesting questions about the strategies of media activism and the strategic use of video to create a narrative when 'traditional' media is largely absent, and how traditional journalists deal with the inherent subjectivity of this reporting.  I am sure much more will be explored on this - we are just touching the surface here. 

Best,

Katrin 

P.S. Jacob and Brian - take a look at the BGANs in the Channel 4 video... : http://bcove.me/f1pil23j (min 2:20 on...) 
 



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