International Conflict Firsthand
Last week there was a widely publicized incident between U.S. warships and Iranian patrol boats in the Strait of Hormuz. Both the U.S. and Iran issued strongly worded statements about what took place. Thanks to YouTube, footage of the confrontation from both sides is freely available in its entirety to anyone.
One of the greatest benefits of online video use in the media is the ability to offer an uncut look at an event without the concerns and constraints of a news program seeking ratings. No television news show could get away with airing both videos, each approximately five minutes long; it’s not compelling enough on its own for a mainstream audience.
But for those interested, it’s out there:
The U.S. View:
The Iran View:
Note that there’s still plenty of room to alter a video (and subtitles) so the content is only as reliable as its source. The official Iranian version is here.
Jon Stewart’s Take:
Perhaps some other international incidents in Stewart’s Big Book of Petty Sh!t That Has Started Wars could have been prevented before they got out of control if there existed the access to information that exists today.
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