Citizen journalism or street journalism (Witschge, 2009) affords individuals the right to take reporting into their own hands. This ensures diverse and new perspectives surrounding ideas and events that are not necessarily explored by traditional news platforms that are invested in their own interests “some news outlets disseminate untruths or misleading claims as part of their political or market strategies” (Koc-Michalska, K., Bimber, B., Gomez, D., Jenkins, M., and Bouliann, 2020 p. p 453). With the rise of social media and the internet, convergent media practices were born creating a “blend of personal communication and public media that manifests a shift in the way we experience mediated communication.” (Meikle & Young, p 59).
Citizen journalism is implicated by its huge potential for bias, blurring facts with opinions, and using a personal perspective to shed light on important moments. This has both a positive and negative impact. The positive impact begins with the sympathy for extraordinary situations while the negative being the possibility for spreading misinformation. “while social media contribute toward a common media context across countries, mass media systems contribute toward national differences” (Koc-Michalska, K., Bimber, B., Gomez, D., Jenkins, M., and Bouliann, 2020 p. p 453).
Mass demonstrations are taking place across the county of Belarus. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya is a Belarusian human rights activist and politician who ran for the 2020 Belarusian presidential election as the main opposition candidate against the 26 year long dictatorship of Alexander Lukashenko. Using social media and citizen journalism as method of reaching larger western news corporations, Tikhanovskaya is begging for help.
Dressing in red and white and marching with the former Belarusian flag, protestors and citizen journalists have taken to the streets and online to publish their own content standing against the controversial re-election of authoritarian president Alexander Lukashenko.
In its fourth week of daily protests approximately 100,000 rallied for the resignation of the country’s president. (Daily Mail, 2020) Many factory workers are going on strike, resulting in the termination of their positions. University students and graduates are protesting and facing arrest, journalists are begin imprisoned and deported for reporting and many were told by the government that their press credentials had been revoked. (Heintz, 2020)
The personal stories being covered by citizen journalists are integral in uncovering the bitter truths and harmful repressive regime locals are demonstrating against.
Using their voices across social media platforms, particularly twitter and blogs the activists in Belarus have been afforded the only freedom of spreading knowledge about their situation. The hashtag #StandWithBelarus gained traction encouraging people across the globe to share, donate and speak up in solidarity the with demonstrators. This social media environment highlights the convergence between “mediated personal communication (as in email, letters or phone calls) and mass communication in the broadcast media paradigm (as in TV, newspapers or radio)” (Meikle & Young, p. 69).
The stories published on the crowdfunded website ‘Voices from Belarus: Stories of people hoping for a democratic Belarus. Created, translated and moderated by a collective of independent authors’ highlight harrowing insights into the impacts of the oppressive regime. From violent conduct from officials, first-hand accounts from inside prisons, opinion pieces, to experts uncovering evidence and members of the election commission speaking out, trying to uncover the falsified election results.
Citizen journalism is a powerful tool for representation and in this case crucial for the support and action that is necessary to appease the uncertain and tumultuous political climate circulating Belarus in this moment.
Independent Twitter Organisations to support
follow the hashtag #StandWithBelarus
follow the hashtag #StandWithBelarus
@VoicesBelarus: is a collective of independent authors creating, publishing and translating stories from people fighting for a democratic Belarus.
Website <https://medium.com/@voicesfrombelarus>
Sources:
Texts:
Tamara Witschge (March 27, 2009). "Street journalists versus 'ailing journalists'?". openDemocracy – free thinking for the world. openDemocracy Ltd. Archived from the original on August 30, 2009. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
Graham Meikle and Sherman Young – From Broadcast to Social Media (ch. 3 in Media Convergence: Networked Digital Media in Everyday Life, Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 59-78)
Koc-Michalska, K., Bimber, B., Gomez, D., Jenkins, M., and Boulianne, S. (2020) Public Beliefs about Falsehoods in News. The International Journal of Press/Politics, 25: 3, pp. 447-468.
Jim Heintz - Associated Press 2020, Belarus cracks down on journalists, 2 AP staff deported, AP Top News Package, 30 August, Associated Press DBA Press Association, viewed 6 September 2020, <https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.uow.edu.au/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nsm&AN=AP71d8e7d4604b33e132d2f995f93a211d>.
Daily Mail 2020, ‘100,000 join Minsk protest’, 31 August, p. 14, viewed 6 September 2020, <https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.uow.edu.au/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edo&AN=145374776>.
Article on Svetlana Tikhanovskaya speaking to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament at the end of August 2020. Available at <https://medium.com/@voicesfrombelarus/my-country-is-in-crisis-780af67c009c>
Images:
Barbara Kruger, Untitled (Printed Matter Matters), 1992, available at < http://www.artnet.com/artists/barbara-kruger/untitled-printed-matter-matters-a-To_oZW6zGr_4UbVzlGvFRg2>
Videos:
Now This, 2020, ‘What’s Happening in Belarus?’, YouTube, available at <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzTIVa_sKuA>