A citizen photographer captures the Mumbai attacks and their aftermath. A Gaza Strip resident writes about the incidents he witnesses. And a story about Thanksgiving at a military base. Citizen media is capturing the spotlight around the world.
Digital Journal — Citizen journalism took the spotlight as the Mumbai, India attacks rocked the news media. As unexpected as the attacks were, intrepid citizen journalists responded to the call of duty and took to the streets of the stricken city.
Digital Journal is pleased to recognize the hard work of photographer Vinukumar Ranganathan, whose photos of the attacks’ aftermath are spread throughout the news network. His album is definitely worth a long look, and the articles using his photos shed light into a chaotic week in India; from useful updates to opinion pieces on sliding investor confidence.
Digital Journalists were on top of this very important news shocker, penning thorough posts on the explosions and retaliating gunships, statements by state ministers, the world’s response to the bombings, and their effect on industries such as Bollywood.
Congrats to all citizen journalists on their extensive coverage of the terror attacks, and our hats-off to Ranganathan for his incredible photography. You can view some of Ranganathan’s photos in the slideshow above (beside the headline), as Ranganathan captured very up-close-and-personal moments. To see all of his photos, check out his album. One of our faves: He snapped pics of elite Commandos repelling from helicopters:
In other news, a reporter from the Gaza Strip is also making his presence known on DigitalJournal.com. Sameh A. Habeeb published several revealing articles about the Palestinian experience in Gaza, writing articles on racist attacks on ambulances, a power plant being shut down, a meeting of foreign ministers to ship aid to Gaza and a powerful photo essay of the region after nightfall. Great work, Sameh, and we anticipate more exclusive stories from this troubled location.
Also, citizen journalist Sherri Reese reported on a Thanksgiving dinner attended by Congressman Dr Paul Broun and hosted by Fort Gordon in Georgia, dishing out grub to military personnel. This exclusive article caught Congressman Broun in a scenario we don’t often see him. Reese not only wrote about the event but also published several great photos displaying the volunteers and thankful soldiers at this feast. Once again, another strong original story from a journalist who’s keen on writing stories from the scene.
Many other intriguing stories are making news right now, including:
• Neticide? Florida man’s suicide on blog raises some big problems for the Internet: When a young man committed suicide over the Net, the world took notice. In this op-ed, a citizen journalist poses thoughtful questions such as, “Can the site be considered party to the suicide, due to those posts on the blog?” Legal issues surrounding this suicide will continue to be on the minds of parents, lawmakers, police and website admins.
• Top Russian Analyst Predicts U.S. Breakup and New North American Currency: If the words “new world order” make you think of conspiracy theories, it’s best to read this article before coming to conclusions. A Russian analyst believes the troubled economy could cause America could collapse, perhaps allowing Russia to reclaim Alaska. What would Sarah Palin say about that?
• Two children accidentally shot by deer hunter: The headline sums up the travesty, but the quote of the story is as surprising as it is ludicrous: “…the hunter may not have realized the day care was behind the deer.” Deb Myers put herself in the shoes of the hunter and admitted, “If I was the hunter…I would have handed my gun over to the police and turned in my hunting license.”
• Couple sues McDonald’s over nude photos: In the department of Stupid Human Mistakes, a husband left his cellphone at McDonald’s and then later discovered some nude photos he snapped appearing on the Net. McDonald’s isn’t being blamed for the incident, but instead the staffers are under investigation. It looks like this couple learned their lesson — save the skin pics for a digital camera.
• Why is Manny Pacquiao Losing to Oscar de la Hoya?: In one of the biggest boxing matches of the year, the Phillipines’ Pacquiao isn’t getting much love from the press, because most are favouring de la Hoya to win. Sportswriters believe the Golden Boy will reign supreme because of his physical superiority, but check out the match on Dec. 6 to see if Pacquiao can pull off the upset of the decade.
• The Game President-elect Barack Obama Plays: The President-elect is shaping up to be, well, in shape. This article centred on Obama’s dedication to fitness and sports, in light of his desire to set up a gym facility in the White House. We also learned about Obama’s love of basketball, complemented with a great photo of Obama in mid-dribble.
• Ali Ashtari Hung In Iran For Spying: In less cheery news, an Iranian man was sentenced to death for allegedly spying for Israel. Ali Ashtari was hung for passing on sensitive information on military, defense and research centers. Israel is claiming it has no knowledge of Ashtari’s work.
• Those Happy Chinese, Oldest Stash Found: Tommy Chong, take notice: the oldest stash of marijuana has been discovered in China. The 789 grams of dried cannabis were found beside the body of a man buried 2,700 years ago, researchers said, adding the pot was used for “psychoactive purposes” as opposed to clothing or food. Anyone willing to wager it’s not potent enough to even give you the munchies?
• Bras for Men: A New Japanese Trend?: Reminiscent of a Seinfeld episode, a Japanese retailer is offering brassieres for sassy cross-dressers. Available for $30 US each, the bras (or mansieres?) are supposedly being gobbled up by Japanese men who have been anticipating the release of this unique apparel. Cynthia Trowbridge sees the value…sorta: “I have seen men that certainly could use one but whether most men would wear one I am doubtful.”
TopFinds Awards
The honourees of this week’s TopFinds Awards attracted impressive attention and widest readership. Digital Journal thanks the following Citizen Journalists with Awards for their passion for covering the top issues of the day: the top award goes to the exemplary photographer Vinukumar Ranganathan for his stunning photos of Mumbai’s terror attacks; other awards go to KJ Mullins, Leo Reyes, Michael Squires, Paul Wallis, Barbara Sowell, Cynthia Trowbridge, Chris V. Thangham, and M Dee Dubroff.
The Top Blog Post of the Week is awarded to Matthew Ferry, who’s been writing a flurry of pieces on life coaching and self-help. One of his most inspiring posts focused on giving up righteousness and looking up “for the synchronicities, the unexpected, unexplainable, good fortune that is happening all around you.” It was well-written, energetic and inevitably a potent piece of advice for anyone hungry to find their own path in life.
