Dallas, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile: should Facebook show violent videos?; Guardian, 7/8/16

Moira Weigel, Guardian; Dallas, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile: should Facebook show violent videos? :

"Facebook’s community standards appear to recognize the political significance of these types of videos. “In many instances, when people share this type of content, they are condemning it or raising awareness about it,” it reads.

Zuckerberg posted his own statement about Castile’s shooting, saying: “The images we’ve seen this week are graphic and heartbreaking, and they shine a light on the fear that millions of members of our community live with every day. While I hope we never have to see another video like Diamond’s, it reminds us why coming together to build a more open and connected world is so important – and how far we still have to go.”

But these videos call up old debates about the ethics of representation. Does increasing the visibility of violence lead to justice for the victims of violence? Does the video itself constitute a form of redress? Does consuming such imagery sensitize and politicize viewers? Or does it exhaust us – or worse, encourage a perverse kind of voyeurism?

In short, should these kind of videos be produced, watched and circulated?"

The Outrage Machine; New York Times, June 2016

[Video] New York Times; The Outrage Machine