As the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon grows into its third week, the internet is brimming with amateur photos and videos of events as they unfold. Citizen journalism shines in a war torn environment giving people raw and uncencored information like never before. Despite risks and lack of credibility, content like this can help share experiences and foster dialogue and make up for much of what mainstream media seems to have forgotten about.

BloggingBeirut.com was started over a year ago by "Julien" to highlight Beirut's beauty. Last week though he posted cellphone video of war damaged buildings and ravaged countryside. On the Israeli side, Guy Naveh posted a few clips on YouTube. Armed with a simple digicam he recorded the events folding in his neighbourhood and felt that sharing them would help his friends along with anyone interested, to feel first hand what fear and axniety caused by air raid sirens. Closer to home, Stanford University researcher Erik Sundelof started the "Lebanon-Israel conflict via cellphones" hosted at Typepad, which invites people to post related images and thoughts as they occur, no matter what side of this conflict they find themselves. Eric is currently working on a dedicated SMS gateway for the regions users. These is also Zah2an's Beirut video series below:

What sets these three projects apart (and more each day) is that ALL are using content created primarily on mobile devices - yes, the same camera that you have on your phone! All are publishing information real-time without editors at mainstream media glossing over them for their public value and sensetivities. All are created by amateurs with a desire to share information and last but not least - all have proven enormously popular with just "Julien's" video getting over 400,000 hits within a few days and Sundelof's endeavor getting a full page on CNN. Discussing the use of cell phones as tools for reporting conflict, the article correctly states that amateur journalism is ideally suited for this sort of activity despite the risks taken of publishing sensetive information in volatile environments.

The reason they risk it? Simply - the personal connection that results from such shared experiences and the potential they offer for dialogue. When two bombings are seen side by side, the Israeli/Lebanese aspect fades - this is simply a recording, a timestamp of suffering that reaches out beyond language or economics. Apparently, traditional media despite its marketing muscle and outreach isn't able to do this as well as it used to. Sure, the information is all verified (three times over) but it's also sanitized and often on a schedule that differs from reality.

"Now imagine a new technology like SMS, MMS [multimedia messaging service] and the Internet. It is possible to build friendships over the borders of the countries and that is important for the future,"  says Sundelof.

Perhaps that is the greatest gift that these bloggers have given us. I wish them all the best.

Via PicturePhoning and MobileActive 

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