Muckraking 2.0

Back in the day, before the creation of the World Wide Web, investigative journalists and civil rights groups would try to seek out injustice in our law, government and police systems. However, thousands if not millions of victims of abuses of power fell between the cracks, leaving global citizens disillusioned with “The Man.”

Indeed, there seems to be a natural tendency among many people (youths in particular) to distrust authority. The 60s and 70s saw a rise in the suspicion of public authority figures. Now, with the advent of the internet, message boards and websites have facilitated this distrust.

The internet is filled with stories of heroic police efforts and good news all around. However, for me personally, some of the most lasting images I’ve seen on the web have been those of police brutality and corrupt officials. Victims of social injustice have flooded YouTube with videos and have written many blogs to spread the word of their suffering, allowing for some shocking stories to travel around the world overnight. In fact, the invention of point-and-click cameras and pocket video recorders has allowed for average citizens to capture a moment of authoritative indiscretion and to have said image floating in cyberspace in a matter of moments.

These videos, photos and blogs have the ability to shock people into action. This past April, an American Baptist pastor was unfairly and unlawfully beaten and tazed by U.S. Border Control. Hours after the incident occurred, the pastor had already recorded a YouTube video showing his injuries and telling his story. Less than a month later, this video has over 326,000 views, and many sympathetic viewers have left comments giving the pastor support. Soon, news channels were picking up the story, giving more coverage to this horrific abuse of power. All the while, each news segment was carefully documented on YouTube, furthering the coverage even more.

The internet is full of stories like this. Indeed, more and more people are seeking support in the World Wide Web, often getting retribution due to the sheer amount of flak that is created in the process. The online community is holding companies and officials of all sorts accountable for their actions. Now, it’s harder and harder to get away with anything.

When the whistle is blown on a bad government office or a corrupt policeman, the internet community is surprisingly ruthless in its response. The anonymity of the internet allows for people to speak their minds without filters, often providing some particularly harsh responses to these abuses of power. Because of this, “The Man” is slowly taking notice.

As the internet continues to take over other forms of media, I’m sure that the power that these online flak generators have over officials will increase, creating a cumulative voice that speaks for the general public. Now, anybody with a webcam or a blog can be muckrakers.

Of course, with this increased social power comes a greater potential to abuse said power. In the coming years, it will be interesting to see how the internet uses its social influence and which voices dominate the discussion. There is the possibility that this influence will be manipulated and contorted, taking away the possibility for real social critique.

While only time will tell whether this power to enact change will strengthen or become distorted, at the moment, members of the internet have the capability to bring global attention to social injustice anywhere at any time. It’s the new muckraking for Generation Y.