The Internet has taken news reporting to an all time fast pace. It has gotten to the point that 'breaking news' on your television, has actually been known about for some time online. This fast pace has allowed for 'as it happens' updates to include videos and photos. The videos are often uploaded from a smartphone by a person who has witnessed the event happen first hand. The ability of smartphones and immediate youtube uploads are fantastic but it also allows for user editing which could be cause for alarm if used incorrectly.
Shown below is a recent incident involving the University of California - Davis Police Department. Several people, both students and non-students, are participating in the much publicized
Occupy Wall Street' protests. In this clip, a user uploaded a one minute clip of university police spraying what appears to be non-violent protesters for no unjust reason with oc spray (commonly referred to as pepper spray). It appears by this one minute clip that the officer walks by the crowd and starts randomly spraying without warning. This clip was forwarded to the media and national attention was given to the incident.
Now take a look at the next video. This video shows the entire twenty minute ordeal that occurred that day. In the full length video you can see and hear the officers clearly advise the group of protesters what law they are violating (even noting chapter and section) and how they are blocking a public way of passage. They are told SEVERAL times the consequences that will result if they refuse to vacate the public walkway. At first a group of protesters are taken into custody as a result of refusing the officers commands. What happens next is several people start to lead the group into demanding that the officers let their fellow protesters go. The group, that clearly outnumbers the officers, start to surround the officers shouting things like "you don't go until they go" creating a virtual kidnapping of the officers. Again the officers verbalize what will result if they do not disperse. It is not until several warnings are given, and the officers are put in a position of being surrounded, jeopardizing their own safety, that the students are sprayed.
Watching this video from the original clip I also questioned the officers actions. However once the second full length clip surfaced, my opinion of the incident completely changed. My views on first amendment rights and what you think is considered 'excessive' with regards to use of force aside, this is a clear example of how the media can simply run with a story by just a small video clip believing that just that clip is enough proof of what happened. If anyone has noticed, the full length video never surfaced on the news as far as I saw.
I think this happens a lot more than we would expect. You only see what they want you to see. It seems that everyone is out to get the police when they thik the police are out to get you. Of coarse there are exceptions where discretion was used wrongly, but what was done, was done for a reason and they were given fair warning.
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