Radio revolutionized news coverage during WWII, TV did it when JFK was shot and killed, Cable did it during the first Gulf War, as Twitter did for the Arab Spring and now its Facebook.
When I became a journalist, only professional broadcasters had the capability to "go live" from anywhere. This week, all of us traveling the information superhighway shared in horror as Diamond Reynolds transmitted live from the front seat of her car while her partner, Philando Castile, was slowly dying beside her. The next day, citizen journalists streamed images of police officers under attack from a sniper.
Demonstrators are now live-streaming their marches. And in a few days, the world will watch two conventions surrounded by discontent, increasing tensions and protests in states with open carry laws.
For the past couple of years, a series of recorded video clips have been posted on social media shaping the national conversation about the use deadly force. The videos sparked protest, occasional violence and, importantly, new public safety procedures. But now, these videos are not recordings, they're transmitted live and raw directly from the scene.
It would be smart for the new breed of citizen journalists and for that matter, just about anyone who may be considering using this new technology to first do some soul searching and think about the responsibility of your actions before going live.
This time, the whole world may be watching your live streaming sessions.
Live Footage of Shootings Forces Facebook to Confront New Role http://nyti.ms/29vzVWF
Facebook Live's big moment raises even bigger questions http://cnnmon.ie/29s1g8C