When WITNESS talks about the “Right to Record,” we are referring to the right to take out a camera or cell phone and film the military and law enforcement without fear of arrest, violence, or other retaliation. [1] Although the Right to Record is foundational
We are pleased to announce our newest initiative: the WITNESS Media Lab, dedicated to unleashing the potential of eyewitness video as a powerful tool to report, monitor, and advocate for human rights.
Testimony of men beaten and dragged away in front of their families, along with images of homes burning to the ground, are reminiscent of stories from the Guatemalan genocide thirty years ago.
Citizens and professional reporters have been thrown in jail while documenting protests and the police response, raising the question once again: Who IS a reporter anyways?
A new video from Tahrir Square underscores the importance of consent and privacy when reporting on sexual abuse.
When professionals are not the ones behind the cameras, how can we apply ethical standards to using video documenting human rights abuse? Our Human Rights Channel Curator weighs in on the current debate on the ethics of utilizing citizen media.
In 2013, the Human Rights Channel curated nearly 2300 videos from 100 countries. Collectively, they reveal not only *what* citizen journalists filmed this year, but *how* that video was seen and used.
In the two and a half years Syria has been engulfed in war, numerous voices have tried to compel the world to take notice and take action. But the message that caught the world’s attention came not from any political leader or organization. It came by way of YouTube.
With more witnesses from more regions equipped to document their communities, how can we in the human rights, media, and technology fields help realize the potential of citizen reporters?
Twitter can be a rumor mill—or a newsroom. NPR’s Andy Carvin shares ideas for developing an informative and reliable online community for news gathering.