Citizen Journalism is Reshaping the World: Brian Conley at TEDxMidAtlantic

Summary

The speaker shares personal experiences and stories of individuals like Omar and Broca, emphasizing the power of local voices in media. They recount founding a TV news agency in Iraq and training English teachers as journalists in Libya, highlighting the importance of listening to diverse stories. The talk concludes with a call to embrace change and support grassroots journalism, suggesting a future where local narratives drive media.

Takeaways

• 📸 The speaker was arrested by Chinese police and held for a week, emphasizing the importance of resilience and the idea that 'everything's going to work out alright'.
• 🌟 The speaker's parents instilled the belief that 'you can do anything', highlighting the significance of personal responsibility and the potential for change.
• 🌐 The speaker reminisces about being part of Indymedia 12 years ago, which aimed to democratize media through the internet, reflecting on the evolution of citizen journalism.
• 👨‍💻 The speaker met Omar, a stateless person from Iraq, who despite not wanting to be a journalist, co-founded a TV news agency with the speaker, demonstrating the power of collaboration.
• 🌐 The speaker's work in Libya led to the establishment of the first fact-based news agency, showcasing the potential for local media to emerge in challenging circumstances.
• 📹 The speaker emphasizes the importance of local voices in media, as seen with the Libyan photojournalist My Broca, who represents the diversity of stories within a region.
• 🤝 The speaker's experience in Tunisia with locals who want to be journalists, despite not knowing where to start, underscores the need for support and guidance in media creation.
• 🌍 The speaker argues that the future of media is local, not just mobile, and that it's crucial for people to tell their own stories and listen to others'.
• 🔄 The speaker stresses that everything changes and nothing is written, encouraging the audience to be brave, adapt, and contribute to shaping the future.
• 👧 The speaker concludes by acknowledging the importance of the next generation in journalism, hinting at a shift away from traditional figures and towards a more diverse and inclusive media landscape.

Q & A

What was the speaker's experience with Chinese police?

The speaker was arrested by Chinese police and held in prison for about a week.

What lesson did the speaker's parents teach them about responsibility?

The speaker's parents taught them that with the ability to do anything comes a lot of responsibility.

What was the significance of the speaker's involvement with Indymedia 12 years ago?

Indymedia was part of the speaker's journey in grassroots media, which they believed was the future. It was a time before YouTube and citizen journalism, indicating they were ahead of their time.

Why did the speaker and Omar start their own TV news agency in Iraq?

The speaker and Omar started their own TV news agency because they wanted to tell the stories of life in Iraq, leveraging the emerging platforms like YouTube and blip TV.

What was the outcome of the speaker's work with English teachers in Libya?

After training 12 English teachers to be journalists and filmmakers, they managed to publish six videos entirely by themselves, marking the start of the first fact-based news agency in Libya.

Why did most people go back to their lives after the revolution in Libya?

Most people went back to their lives because they had other passions and did not want to be journalists.

What is the significance of the photojournalist My Broca in the speaker's narrative?

My Broca represents the untold stories and the diversity of people in Libya, challenging the one-sided narrative often portrayed in the media.

How did the speaker meet Mohamed Nasir II in Tunisia?

The speaker met Mohamed Nasir II through a recommendation from journalists who had been in Tunisia during the revolution, initially connecting via Facebook.

What is the speaker's view on the future of media?

The speaker believes the future of media is local, with people telling their own stories and sharing them online.

What advice does the speaker give regarding change and the future?

The speaker advises that the future is unwritten and that change requires bravery, the willingness to tell one's story, and not expecting different results from doing the same things.