Why is it easy for us to react to something that’s happening a thousand miles away? Why do we care for people who are suffering from other parts of the world? Why do we burden ourselves from seeing children being beaten and women raped? They are complete strangers! It is not that it is unacceptable. It is in fact what we call compassion. However, why can’t we feel the same toward our neighbors?
When there is something wrong happening in our community, how do we respond? Most of us don’t want to get involved because we may offend other people. However, letting unfortunate things happen pass is like making it happen in the first place. We should not be a bystander and allow our community to be drowned in damaging circumstances such as a neighbor being domestically abused or a dangerous manhole around the corner.
How Do We Get Involved?
We are not all opportune to have a profession that allows us to give information to people like being a journalist, news anchor, or a media personality. However, we can still spread awareness anyhow by being a citizen journalist.
Yes, even if we are not in media, we can exercise our right as a concerned citizen. Nowadays, social media may have power as much as the mainstream media; and we can use this platform as a tool to spread awareness, get attention and help, and warn people.
Importance Of Getting Involved:
Promote Peace
Some people say that the way to promote peace is to keep silent, but doing so is like allowing something to happen. For instance, when you know that a person is bullying someone, remaining distant and not doing anything is like agreeing on the horrible act to take place, and that is not promoting real peace. It keeps yours but not others’. Someone may lose sleep, fearing tomorrow. He doesn’t have peace!
Better Community
Getting involved in the community is not stepping on someone’s boundary especially if there is something wrong. When there is a corruption or illegal doing in an organization, telling authorities is a way to show that you care for the community and the people in it.
Spread awareness
If you think specific information is valuable for people like it is to you, you have the responsibility to spread it. For instance, there is news that a person is lurking around and taking children. What is the right thing to do? Inform the authorities and spread awareness by posting on social media. As per the Pew Research Center, about 69% of U.S. adults use social media. That means you have that big opportunity to let people know valuable information.
Give Voice
Not all people have the power to be heard, and when you get the chance to give a voice to someone and make a difference, wouldn’t you? For instance, domestic violence is prevalent, and you know someone who is suffering from it. You can give voice to that someone who might not have the courage to get out of the situation. Giving a voice to oppressed people is like giving them hope and not allowing oppression to go on.
Getting involved and exercising our rights as ordinary citizens is essential. It gives us a sense of belonging and responsibility that we too can contribute to the betterment of our community. Citizen journalism gives freedom and truth because sometimes, small details get silenced because some people think they are irrelevant, and it is for the reason that we all have different perspectives. What’s essential for some may not be for others. Citizen journalism creates a fair opportunity for all information to reach the people who need it.