The Virginia Tech shootings illustrate the power and importance of citizen journalism. While a gun-toting student went on a killing spree Monday, Virginia Tech students caught cell phone images and video of police arrivals and gunshot sounds. Before reporters arrived on campus to report the story, students who lived the tragedy had already captured it themselves.
Norris Hall at Virginia Tech University, the location of the second round of shootings on VT's campus Monday. Photo: Virginia Tech University
Even though the cell phone footage was shaky and grainy- it still was the most detailed, timely and honest account of the situation. No reporter could capture it the same way. News stations agreed, flooding their coverage with images and videos caught by students, playing them over and over again as a depiction of the day's events.
It's amazing how everyone now-a-days can turn into a reporter by reporting and finding news (being in the rightâ€â€or wrong place at the right time with a cell phone). Jamal Albarghouti, Virginia Tech student, caught footage of the second round of shootings in Norris Hall. He was told by police to take cover. He followed orders but, while doing so, he shot video with his cell phone.
Reporters can't be everywhere and, though loads of frivolous content comes from citizen journalists, incidents like this show the importance of citizen journalists and their ability for on-the-spot news coverage.
Monday's shootings resulted in the death of 33 people, including the shooter himself. This is the largest school shooting in U.S. history. How different coverage of this event would have been without Virginia Tech's student footage.
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