Q1:
Discuss a time when you witnessed the impact of citizen journalism in your community. What did this event teach you about the potential for an individual to influence public opinion?
Philip Franchina, known as "Philip DeFranco", is a 26 year-old YouTube star. An online citizen journalist, he takes news stories off of the Internet and presents them is a funny and political format to his viewers. According to him, "it's just me talking about the stuff in the news that matters to me." He reports on domestic and international stories- not only world-shaking news, but gaming and blogging news, international scandals, and anything else that he takes an interest in. From meager beginnings, he has become one of the most watched YouTubers in the world. On a videotaped tour of Europe, he held a meet and greet with thousands of his fans. Although I had realized the effect he had on the opinions of teens in America, I was not prepared for the extent of his influence on the views that foreigners held in respect to our country. This one man, simply by creating a mode of communication that could internationally, had become one of the main sources of information on news in America for thousands of teens in Europe. Doing what powerful, multinational news corporations couldn't, he was able to his opinion out there and make it matter. What's important to note is the lesson that this teaches us- that, as Sonia Johnson said, "one determined person can make a significant difference." This especially rings true at the University of Maryland, where people from all over to influence and to in turn be influenced by the words of their professors and their friends. One only has to look at graduates of a college to determine its caliber- and with alumni such as Jim Henson and Charles Bennett, both individuals with massive accomplishments, I know that Maryland is a place where I, as an individual, can change the world.
