People who are determined to uncover the truth about their society, particularly in how their government is mistreating their fellow citizens, are relying on technology and social media to prove that leaders need to stop infringing on civil liberties. How ordinary people are taking extraordinary lengths to reveal corporate exploitation and the results of government overreach is chronicled in ‘The Origins of Citizen Journalism in Ferguson,’ Shockya’s exclusive clip from this week’s new episode of ‘Truth & Power.’ The episode, ‘Shooting the Messenger,’ which will show how the power balance between police and their communities is changing, will debut tonight at 10pm ET/PT on Pivot.
‘Shooting the Messenger’ examines how citizen journalists like Chris Seltzer (a Ferguson, Missouri bystander) and Antonio Buehler (a former U.S. Army Captain who captured a cop pulling over a car in Austin, Texas) are shaping narratives between police officers and the communities in which they serve. Through bold guerrilla reporting, using nothing more than a smart phone and social media, citizen journalists are exposing police tactics, but often at a personal cost. Seltzer and Buehler share their own experiences, including contending with serious personal repercussions for filming the police, in ‘Shooting the Messenger.’
While some citizens believe it’s important to showcase corporate exploitation and government overreach citizen journalism, critics of this civilian participation convey how communities suffer from such reporting. According to them, law enforcement hesitates to get involved in incidents, as they don’t want their filmed actions to be misconstrued.
‘Shooting the Messenger’ is the sixth installment in the 10-part docu-series, which is executive produced by Brian Knappenberger, and narrated by Oscar nominated actress Maggie Gyllenhaal. Each half-hour episode of ‘Truth & Power’ shows how certain authorities and organizations are attempting to silence dissent and hinder 21st century social movements in ways that directly threaten democracy.
Watch ‘The Origins of Citizen Journalism in Ferguson,’ Shockya’s exclusive clip from ‘Truth & Power’s latest episode, ‘Shooting the Messenger,’ below.
Written by: Karen Benardello