Story Plan Update!!

I have a few developments to my story that I wanted to update everyone on, and hopefully get some good feedback! As a refresher, my original pitch was to do an op-ed style piece on anonymous online spaces and their impact on communication here on campus. I was previously going to create a Google survey and have a bunch of students respond to questions about their experiences with online anonymity. Instead of doing this, I have decided to shift my focus more onto how anonymous online spaces empower social activism.

I have found my way into an online group called “Anonymous for the Voiceless”, which is an animal rights activist group. Basically, these people dress in all black, throw on V for Vendetta masks and form human squares in busy public spaces while holding computers that play horrific factory farm videos. They call these demonstrations “Cubes of Truth”. Their intent is to show the public what goes on in these factory farms with a particular dramatic flair that attracts a lot of attention.

The next Cube of Truth demonstration is going to be on April 1st in Lakewood, and the live elements of my story will largely revolve around this event. Along with blogging, I plan on using the following platforms to tell my story:

Youtube: I want to go live from the demonstration for a few minutes, and try to interview any passers-by to get their opinion on the “Cube”. The group usually convenes for about two hours, so I should have plenty of time within that window to find people to interview. If they are willing to talk to me, I will also interview any members of Anonymous for the Voiceless.

Twitter: I want to tweet about some of the practices of the group. They are very formulaic, and I would like to highlight the communication strategies they employ in addressing the public. I can incorporate the information in the “The Impact of Digital Content” World Economic Forum report into some of these tweets as well because the information is correlative. I also will tweet photos from the demonstration itself.

Vero: For my experimental platform, I am going to publicize my final story on Vero. I want to utilize the platform’s intuitive design to thread to my other accounts, and to also post photos and videos of the demonstration.

Facebook: I am also going to publicize my final story on Facebook, and I want to use this particular platform to dive deeper into the real purpose behind what Anonymous for the Voiceless is doing. I am going to utilize Facebook’s larger text count to post about the politics behind animal rights issues, and also post at the demonstration itself.

Although my story has changed through this process, I am really happy with where it is going. My meeting with Terron Moore helped me to realize this is the direction I should take my work if I am going to be talking about anonymous online spaces and activism. The people who operate within this online group are obviously dedicated, and I want my photos and videos to show this. The impact of digital communication on social activism is powerful, and there is a portion of the American people ready to use whatever means necessary to organize and make themselves heard.