From Black Boxes Revealing 106-Car Pileups to Deepfake Threats: The Two Faces of Citizen Reporting

The era when the media was the sole witness and mass distributor of incidents is fading. Now, the era of 'Citizen Journalism' has arrived, where citizens witness incidents on the scene first and leave real-time records through smartphones and digital cameras. According to YTN docu / YTNdocu videos, this change plays a decisive role in identifying social truths, while simultaneously bringing about new forms of social side effects and technological threats.

The Power of the 'First-Person Perspective' in Uncovering the Truth of Incidents

Videos recorded by citizens sometimes become powerful tools that reveal the truth of a scene that public institutions or the media failed to reach. The video cited the case of a 106-car pileup on the Yeongjong Bridge in Incheon that occurred in thick fog. While various speculations were rampant regarding the cause of the accident at the time, the black box footage of the accident vehicle allowed for the confirmation of the initial moment of the accident and the specific circumstances. The 'first-person perspective' possessed by black box footage conveys a sense of immersion and fear to viewers as if they have become the perpetrator or the victim, vividly proving the reality of the incident.

This power of recording also contributes to realizing social justice. Cases such as the pursuit of a hit-and-run vehicle speeding through the city in a stolen car, or a Boryeong citizen who threw themselves in front of a car to stop it to save a driver who lost consciousness in a traffic accident, show how the records and courage of citizens create social value. Furthermore, it also uncovers elements that threaten public safety without filter, such as exposing the dangerous behavior of a bus driver who habitually uses a mobile phone and plays games while driving.

'Mass Spectating' Beyond Bystanding: The Shadow of Reporting Culture

However, citizens' cameras do not always perform a positive role. The video points out the dark side existing behind the culture of reporting. The sight of people in a street brawl scene focusing on filming with smartphones instead of trying to stop it draws criticism as 'mass spectating beyond bystanding.' This, along with the tendency to prefer provocative subject matter, raises concerns that it could lead to sensationalist reporting alongside the infringement of individual privacy.

In particular, if reporting videos are intended for consumption based on interest rather than public interest value, there is a high possibility they lead to 'secondary victimization' of specific individuals. An interviewee in the video raised voices of caution regarding the phenomenon where things that are not true are distributed like news, stating, "There will be a significant increase in false information among the reported contents."

AI Deepfake and Fake News, the Collapsing Boundary of Truth

The advancement of technology has expanded the eyes of citizens, but at the same time, it has brought a massive threat called the 'uncertainty of truth.' 'Deepfake' videos, which use AI technology to make a specific person appear to say things they did not say, have now become a realistic threat. The video mentions a case where the voice and appearance of former U.S. President Obama were sophisticatedly manipulated, warning that if technology is misused, it can become a tool to interfere in elections or incite conflict between groups.

In fact, sophisticatedly manufactured Fake News causes social chaos, such as cases where videos of heavy snow in Russia were manipulated, or photos of an explosion near the U.S. Department of Defense were manipulated to shake the financial markets. Regarding this, the interviewee diagnosed, "The biggest crisis is the creation of an environment where it is difficult to verify the truth." Ultimately, they emphasized that amidst the pouring reports and manipulated information, the core competency that a media outlet must possess will be the 'verification capability' to thoroughly verify information and discern the truth.