First viral video? George Holliday records LAPD's beating of Rodney King

Pre-citizen journalist George Holliday records "world's most famous home video." Here's an excerpt.

HuffPost citizen journalist impacts 2008 presidential campaign

Mayhill Fowler, a citizen journalist for HuffingtonPost's "Off the Bus" project, posted a report that launched the so-called "Bittergate" uproar that nearly derailed Obama's 2008 campaign. The Bittergate of 2012 campaign: "47%-gate."

In getting a later scoop, Fowler said she didn't hide that she was recording ex-President Clinton as he verbally trashed a Vanity Fair reporter as "sleazy" and "slimy" and "dishonest" and "a scumbag, while greeting voters in public as he campaigned for his wife in June 2008. BUT Clinton obviously did not know Fowler was a HuffPost "citizen journalist." Should she have ID'd herself? (She clearly got a more honest response from Clinton than if he'd known she was a journalist.)

Should public figures know nowadays that anything said in public -- especially rants (or racism) -- will be recorded and available forever? Exhibits A (and A1) features a U.S. senator and B features a comedic actor.

Richest You Tube Stars Today . . .

. . . according to a Business Insider report (H/t Olivia).  And here's vlogger ZeFrank (H/t Emma). Couple breaks up on YouTube (H/t Jodi). Should some ethical/social questions be raised about the YT Partners Program. (H/t Emma).

Ed Snowden Coverage: If U.S. Mass Media Were State-Controlled, Would It Look Any Different?

My June 2013 piece on some of the mainstream media reaction to Snowden and his revelations about widespread NSA surveillance on people NOT suspected of any crime. NY Times journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin commented: "I'd arrest him [Snowden] and I'd almost arrest Glenn Greenwald." Meet the Press host David Gregory asked Greenwald, "Why shouldn't you, Mr. Greenwald, be charged with a crime?"

Blogger Took Ethical Action

Here's an example of a blogger acting quite professionally and ethically. Ken Krayeske, who questioned University of Connecticut's basketball coach about his huge taxpayer-paid salary, announced in Oct. 2009 that he wouldn't be covering Hartford City Hall because his girlfriend had a job there. If he'd disclosed the relationship and kept covering City Hall, that  might have been sufficient from an ethical standpoint.

Are These AOL's Journalistic Values?

Soon after AOL announced its merger with HuffingtonPost in February, 2011 Business Insider(followed by the Boston Globe) published leaked AOL documents offering a glimpse into that company's journalistic approach -- not one that Arianna Huffington would endorse. (H/t to former indy media student Leah T, for posting the Insider's summary of AOL's guidelines.)

Renowned Journalist Crowdfunding His Next Book

Investigative writer Mark Dowie, winner of many journalism prizes, is crowdfunding his next book through Inkshares.com