TMTOWTDI

• This post is part of a series I am writing for a class on New Media. Some technical explanations may seem unneeded or lengthy, but I am writing for the benefit of a very intelligent but less technical audience.

My grandfather just reminded me of a great addition to my post on citizen journalism. As I was watching the TV news on Wednesday, the talking head was interviewing Hossam Hamdan and an ACLU lawyer (the preceding link is the transcript, search it for for “Hamdan”).

The issue was that Naji Hamdan, an American citizen from the UAE, had been imprisoned by proxy in the UAE for the U.S.A., and has not been charged with a crime by the United States. Complicating the issue is how the UAE has a record for torture, a record in clear conflict with U.S. policy.

I took issue with how the interviewer, Tony Harris, worked to shape the interview. He did a lot of presuming (Harris’s own word) and continually cut off Hossam Hamdan and the lawyer. He created his own story in the course of the interview instead of focusing on the who, what, when, where, why, and how that could be provided by the interviewees. Harris worked to promote a specific connection and push his own very specific conclusions and agenda, that of Hamdan to terrorist organizations, at the expense of neutrality.

Here’s a quote that churns my stomach whenever I read it:

[Harris speaking] …But Sam, one more question quickly for you. Your brother, it is my understanding, runs an auto parts store where he is shipping containers all over the world. He is a devout Muslim who travels overseas a lot. Now I am not drawing >any conclusions from that but I am wondering if in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks do you understand why the federal government would be interested in learning everything it can about your brother’s trips and business dealings?…

Citizen journalism combats this by promoting diversity in the news, long a goal of American media regulation. This is just one more reason citizen journalism rocks.