Henry Jenkins, a provost professor at the University of Southern California, blogs on his website about “Nine Propositions Towards a Cultural Theory of YouTube.” In this entry, a particular point that he brings up was extremely relevant at the time of this article being published, and still is very true today. Jenkins writes;
5. YouTube operates, alongside Flickr, as an important site for citizen journalists, taking advantage of a world where most people have cameras embedded in their cellphones which they carry with them everywhere they go. We can see many examples of stories or images in the past year which would not have gotten media attention if someone hadn’t thought to record them as they unfolded using readily accessible recording equipment: George Allen’s “macaca” comments, the tazering incident in the UCLA library, Michael Richards’s racist outburst in the nightclub, even the footage of Sadam Hussein’s execution, are a product of this powerful mixture of mobile technology and digital distribution.
The power of YouTube is finally being recognized in our country for being as powerful, moving, and viral as it has become today. Whereas YouTube is a wonderful medium for killing time by browsing videos, it has turned into a tool for individuals to use to broadcast their messages to the world. In some cases though, this access to such a powerful broadcasting medium can be dangerous and backfire. This particular video of a UCLA student ranting about “Asians in the Library” originated as a message/rant by the girl, but the exposure that it got on YouTube in a matter of days was enough to take her life on a roller coaster with her withdrawal from UCLA, to death threats that she received in response to her video.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoLLEZlpUxk
Another instance that occurred was the UC Davis student protest where police pepper-sprayed students while they were silently demonstrating. Without the power of YouTube, the exposure of this story would not have been as profound as it was, but fortunately other individuals with cellphone cameras were able to capture this event and spread awareness by uploading their videos.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AdDLhPwpp4
While some videos like this happen which negatively affect the individual who uploaded it, but there are thousands of instances where a video went viral, a message was heard, and a positive outcome happened because of it. The power of YouTube is not to be underestimated, but utilized to its complete potential to spread what message YOU want to be heard throughout the world.
Source(s): http://www.henryjenkins.org/2007/05/9_propositions_towards_a_cultu.html
I agree with you that youtube can be the perfect platform and medium in which people can use to spread a message for an event that they feel strongly about. An example would be the UC Davis students getting paper sprayed, or the numerous videos of police brutality and discrimination. If it was not for the video this event might not have gained national attention and people would not be aware of it.