One of the best things of alternative media is the speed in which things become viral. Thanks to Facebook and Youtube; videos, posts, memes, trends, etc, become popular within a matter of days. In March, I remember my cousin asking me to watch a video on Youtube called KONY 2012. I had no idea what I was about to watch but decided to watch it due to my cousin’s insistence. The video, 30 minutes long, discusses one of the world’s worst criminals as per the ICC (International Criminal Court): Joseph Kony. For years Kony and his army, the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army), have been abducting children in Africa and turning them into sex slaves and soldiers. They have been taught to kill and mutilate. The video is a form of alternative media used to advocate the importance of capturing Kony, and to raise awareness in ways ordinary people can help. In 2005, after befriending Jacob, a boy who had run away from the LRA, the director of the film KONY 2012, Jason Russell, made it his job to try and stop Kony from damaging the lives of thousands of children in Africa. However, the government refused to step in and aid a cause in which our finances or security weren’t at stake. Russell and his friends began to promote the cause in various ways (this video being one of them) and made Kony infamous. Once the government realized people were trying to make a difference, Barack Obama stationed 100 troops in Africa to assist the African soldiers in neutralizing the chaos with the LRA. Unfortunately, Kony has not been captured but thanks to KONY 2012 he is now known for his crimes. The video currently has 93,322,539 views on Youtube. I remember watching it posted all over my newsfeed, and I am sure at least 99% of the class has seen, or at least heard of KONY 2012. Though he hasn’t been captured yet, the goal of the video was fulfilled: it made people aware of the world’s #1 worst criminal so that further action can be taken to bring him to justice.
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