Yo Taylor, I'm really happy for you...

How many of you already knew that the continuation of this post's title was going to read: "...but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time!"? And once you were through reading that, how many of you already knew that the speaker was Kanye West?

During the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards this past September, the most well known moment of the evening had to be Kanye stealing the spotlight from Taylor Swift by claiming her moonman for best female video rightfully belonged to Beyonce. The moment was replayed countless times on both television and the internet. It's interesting that immediately after the ordeal on September 13th, bloggers and YouTubers alike went straight to their computers. With more than 44,000 comments and 8,870,000 plus views, the ordeal was posted on YouTube just hours after it occurred.

What really strikes me is that these videos and blogs are posted by everyday people, just like you and I. Anyone has the ability to comment on the day's events, post thoughts on an array of issues, etc. However, is this information always reliable? Are these sites equivalent to good old fashioned journalism?

It seems to me that much of the information we read online has to be taken with a grain of salt. Objectivity is key in our day and age. As Rebecca Blood writes, "bloggers are usually very happy to tell you what they think of what they link. But is this a new form of journalism? Frankly, no. I'm not practicing journalism when I link to a news article reported by someone else and state what I think... Bloggers may point to reader comments as sources of information about the items they post, but these are equivalent to letters to the editor, not reporting."

I'd have to say, I agree with this statement. While blogging and YouTube videos are entertaining and useful in catching up on the daily gossip, I do not look to them first when I'm attempting to read a story of real impact. Participatory media is great for things like the Kanye and Taylor incident, but it also has its drawbacks. When people start looking to and relying on participatory media that do not necessarily have any credibility, the line is blurred.

The movie Mean Girls serves as a good metaphor for participatory media. If you aren't already familiar, watch this clip of when the "Burn Book" surfaces at North Shore High School. The four "mean" girls, who have no credibility nor do they personally know half the people they are writing about, publish a book of half-true stories for all to read. This is one way to look at participatory media - written by people with usually no first hand knowledge, but only an outsiders view and an untrained opinion. While some of it may be true, other parts may not.

All in all, participatory media sites like YouTube and blogs are entertaining and often helpful in relaying information, but they should not be viewed as a replacement for professional journalism.

Tragedy in the Public Sphere

In light of the recent tragedy in Haiti, I am very aware of the powerful presence of the public sphere. I first found out about the earthquake and disaster in Haiti while on my Twitter account. Celebrities across the board were tweeting about it - Jessica Simpson as an example, "Everyone please help Haiti thru this horrible tragedy & go to http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/impact/ Every little bit helps."

Even the White House was in on the tweeting - "Text HAITI to 90999 to donate $10 to @RedCross relief efforts in #Haiti. Learn more: http://bit.ly/6KiRtE @dipnote".

What I find so fascinating is that amidst a tragedy, everyone is capable of having a voice. The public sphere makes it possible to not only receive news, but to give an opinion on it, or even ask for help. The ability to post a link for others to see to donate money and interact in the even has been utilized by many - just take a look at the examples of Jessica Simpson and the White House from above.

Henry Jenkins invites us to, as he puts it, "reconsider what it might mean for citizens in a participatory culture to get "too close to reality" and whether this is a new kind of political power that we could deploy to transform society." Responding to this, I feel that for the situation in Haiti, the public sphere has given bountiful opportunity for citizens to participate in culture. While there are a variety of situations we could analyze concerning the public sphere, regarding the situation in Haiti the public sphere has proven to serve as an outlet for people of all different walks of life to share a common idea and come together in times of tragedy. Thus, in a participatory culture like ours, the public sphere is capable of and has been used to transform society.

One captivating example of participatory culture in the public sphere is a blog shown to me by a friend. This blog comes right out of Haiti. Karen Bultje is a woman who has been updating others on the tragedy in Haiti by posting her pictures and stories of life in Haiti just days after the earthquake.

I just want to end this post by commending those who have been exercising their right to participate in culture. By posting pictures, links, blogs, thoughts, etc., it becomes very apparent that the ripple effects of such disasters can be felt around the world. We can all catch a glimpse into the kind hearts of others, and the unity of mankind can genuinely be experienced.