A tale of tweets
The significance of mobile storytelling during a civil rights movement.
This past week, mobile storytelling was in action more than ever before.
Journalists and citizens worked to actively tell stories from across the world regarding the protests surrounding racist policing and the murder of George Floyd.
These stories were told through words, but the most impactful stories were shared through photos and videos. We saw police officers brutally beat innocent and peaceful protestors. We also were able to observe acts of kindness, such as officers kneeling in solidarity with protestors and comforting them. We witnessed looters ransacking small and large businesses alike, and the aftermath of the destruction the next day.
None of these stories would have come to light had it not been for Twitter and other social media platforms. TV news outlets often have their own narrative, dictated by corporations and guidelines of what can and can’t be presented under the company name. However, it is important during a time like this to be able to view raw footage of what’s occurring in our country. One of the primary ways I received information about the protests over the last week was through Twitter. Specifically journalists, but also many other citizens, worked to keep the American people informed of what was actually taking place at these protests.
One specific example of a person who exceeded all expectations of Twitter journalism is Jake Epstein.
Epstein was one of my colleagues at The Brown and White, my university newspaper, this past semester. He graduated this spring, and is currently working as a full-time journalist. Throughout the week, he attended protests and tweeted every step of the way. He would create videos and photos in the afternoons of the peaceful protesting and continue to tell multimedia stories as the protests would escalate into violence later at night.
At every moment in time, we knew what was going on in Boston thanks to Epstein. Some of his tweets even garnered thousands of retweets and favorites, which is only a testament to their impact.
But Epstein is not the only person who tweeted important depictions of the situation. Because of the hard work of several internet users, the world was able to witness raw, by-the-minute footage of every significant turn that was taken during protests in hundreds of towns and cities.
While many impactful stories have been shared, it’s important to recognize that sometimes videos or photos might only show part of a story.
A New York City police officer was fired on the second day of protests after a video showed him pulling out his gun near a crowd. People were outraged by his actions, as the video showed extreme panic in the crowd after he did this.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio immediately called for his termination.
The next day, a second video was released detailing the seconds leading up to this moment. Immediately beforehand, a protestor ran up to an officer and smacked him over the head with a brick, causing him to fall back in a stupor. While the actions of police officer who pulled the gun should absolutely not be excused, the second video gave a different perspective on the story, as the officer appeared to pull out his gun to protect his partner from more violence.
This particular story teaches an important lesson about the reliability of videos and photos and whether or not they describe the entirety of a situation.
However, we also must recognize how several of these protest tweets really do share what’s going on in a given moment. Without some of these photos and videos, many significant stories would have been lost or twisted. People around the world wouldn’t have had the opportunity to witness the tragedy in the United States and share their solidarity from thousands of miles away.
Mobile storytelling has never been more relevant than it is right now, and it is my hope that people continue to shoot and record real moments for others to learn about and reflect on through Twitter.
