Moblogging the Iranian public executions
If you’re still chomping away on your Cornflakes, move on to the next post.
But if you’ve already had breakfast, here’s what I was reading over mine this morning.
The International Herald Tribune published a story today about public executions, apparently of rapists, taking place across Iran. The text of the story is online on their site here: Iran hangs 9 convicts, 7 publicly, in a crackdown on ‘thugs’.
Only the main article picture makes it to the online edition so I took a picture of one of the photos from the physical paper. It shows the great unwashed — the public watching the spectable — with many of them holding up their advanced camera phones to record the moment.
Setting aside the gruesome nature of the topic, it’s fascinating to see the devices — and so many of them in the picture — used in this manner. There are one or two ‘real’ cameras, the rest are all good quality mobile handsets.
I wonder what’s next with the footage? Is it going to be replaced on the handset to friends, or is it going to be transmitted via the Iranian mobil networks? Or maybe sent via bluetooth? My guess is a) bluetooth and b) showing to friends.
You took a photo of a photo of people taking a photo!
Posted by Dan Lane on August 3rd, 2007 at 9:48 am.Maybe it’s wrong to set aside the subject matter Ewan.
This is another example which highlights how acceptable it is to just point and shoot, whatever the event.
While mobile footage is great at giving the news broadcaster instant footage as something happens, it increases the constant stream of information into the consciousness and increases intrusion into private lives as an unexpected event becomes a any-old-sod-with-a-camera photo opportunity.
But then, I’m biased in this. I’m one of those who were at KX on 7/7 and didn’t get my camera phone out to take marketable photos for selling to the media, I ignored the herd and got my hands dirty giving first aid and help.
Posted by Loulou on August 3rd, 2007 at 10:09 am.