The Whole World is Watching celebrates the vital importance of citizen journalism (and the Internet) in a time of growing corruption and repression on the part of governments who serve corporate paymasters rather than the people they’re supposed to represent.
Highlighting growing police attacks on journalists and photographers, the filmmakers outline the laws regulating filming and taking photos in public places. In essence, a person standing on public property has an absolute right to film anything within their line of vision – provided it doesn’t violate another person’s reasonable expectation of private (eg if they’re undressing). The police are behaving unlawfully by demanding to see a photographer’s identification, deleting their photos or confiscating their photos, videos or equipment.
The documentary features Will Potter, independent journalist and author of Green is the New Red, about the ongoing US effort to criminalize environmental activists. See his blog at Green is the New Red
This is absolutely an excellent piece. Thanks for posting it.
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Aw shucks, ppjg. Thanks for the compliment.
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I think the internet helped to nurture awareness in people where there was none before.
I also think that due to more citizen journalism, attempts by the police to confiscate video footage and evidence of wrong doing by them has become an issue.
I make it a fact to see if I am in a 2-party consent state wherever I go and if I am, I move because I am hell bent on taping everything and 1-party consent states allow for that. I have also found that states that are 1-party consent states are generally less corrupt than those that are not.
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Interesting your point about 1-party vs 2-party consent Shelby. I learned something new today.
I can see a definite advantage in having a Smartphone in doing citizen journalism – my dumb phone doesn’t take photos or videos – nor does it record.
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Dr. Bramhall, I have recording devices that you would never suspect are recording devices.
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