In class, we have talked about how useful social media can be, whether you’re starting a business and looking to get your name out there, or on the prowl for a job. Social media has deemed itself to have a very powerful affect on the way we, as humans, operate. The creators of the KONY 2012 video, and the Invisible Children campaign, have realized the power of social media and one week ago, they put the human race combined with social media to the test. In one day alone the KONY 2012 video, which mind you is not short (30 minutes long), had accrued more than one million views. In one week alone, the video now has an astonishing 83,121,241 views.
Since the video has first aired, though, the cofounder of the Invisible Children campaign, the filmmaker of the KONY 2012 video, was detained for being out in public naked with the possibility of public masturbation. Not only are we dealing with viral videos now, but also with the concept of how this campaign will handle the backlash of this incident.
Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc
KONY Article: http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/conserving-freedom/2012/mar/7/kony-2012-bringing-joseph-kony-justice/
KONY 2012 Filmmaker is detained: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/jason-russell-san-diego-invisible-children-kony-2012-142970255.html
Things to consider for your responses:
Where did you first learn of the KONY 2012 video and did you watch it?
What about this video gave it the power to go viral?
Do you feel that the backlash of the filmmaker getting detained will affect this campaign? If not, why? If so, how would you try to restore the campaign from a PR stand point?
Do you think that this campaign has the power to stop Joseph Kony based on the publicity and support the campaign has gained in one week alone?
I first learned about KONY from my roomates,they had seen it on facebook and decided to watch it, once they saw how great the message was they told me. I watched the video as soon as I heard all of these great reviews and enjoyed it myself as well.
ReplyDeleteI feel that this video had the power to go viral because it had so many people behind it. By having celeberites and other important figures it got attention. Also by haveing a great message it caught the eyes of many people. Also by adding a cute child like the film maker did it also is one reason many people watched it. Im not sure if people started watching it for the main purpose the vidoe had but once they were finished they undertstood why it was so important.
I dont think at this point it is going to affec the campaign. KONY has already reached so many viewers with its powerful message that i dont think people will turn agaisnt it. Obviously the film maker getting detained is not a good thing but I think people will almost feel bad for him because he has done so much work and one of his reasons were exahuastion. I just dont see the people turing their back on this project even if the film maker is a little crazy.
In one week alone, possibly but with the power that KONY has generated over the last month i do belive that it will make a difference to catch KONY. Maybe not right away but the fact that his face is now known all over the world will make a difference. I also think the funds that are being collected from all these people over time will also help in catching KONY because this money will help develop the army over there, wich currently needs help.
Where did you first learn of the KONY 2012 video and did you watch it
ReplyDeleteI first learned about KONY 2012 from facebook and my roommate actual showed me the video. But I only got to see about 2 minutes of it so I youtubed it myself.
What about this video gave it the power to go viral?
the thing that made this video go viral was the little boy. And the impacted that it had on him and that fact that he knew who the bad person one and who was his friend.
Do you feel that the backlash of the filmmaker getting detained will affect this campaign? If not, why? If so, how would you try to restore the campaign from a PR stand point?
I think that it will hurt the campaign for about a couple days. But I think once he is able to get back and healthy again and make a statement I think that it will allow the campaign will continue to grow. There are some people out there they don’t belive that it was right of him to do what he did. But everyone is human and with the overwhelming affect that this video has on his life as well as the campaign itself it is definitely an overwhelming experience.
Do you think that this campaign has the power to stop Joseph Kony based on the publicity and support the campaign has gained in one week alone?
I hope so. I hope that enough people can realize that this man needs to be stopped and that people need the as much help as they can get t stop this guy. With going after so many people in so many different direction it think that was the best way to make this video known and to have the campain bloom as much as it has!
Where did you first learn of the KONY 2012 video and did you watch it?
ReplyDeleteI heard about KONY 2012 last week on Twitter when it began trending. Once I saw my friends start tweeting about it I decided to watch the entire thing.
What about this video gave it the power to go viral?
The video went viral because it was able to show an adorable child that we got our comic relief from while also giving us real information first hand from both a boy who was once a member of Kony's Army and the Filmmaker who intervened. This was an instance where people got to see and hear first hand about the brutality going on and then seeing real people take action is what made it so successful.
Do you feel that the backlash of the filmmaker getting detained will affect this campaign? If not, why? If so, how would you try to restore the campaign from a PR stand point?
Initially yes I think it will hurt the campaign because its such a serious issue and i thin people respected Jason Russell for all the good work he did on the campaign. Now he did something crazy and it brings into question the seriousness of the campaign and their aim to be successful. To restore faith Russell needs to personally issue a statement discussing his actions and that he is still dedicated to the cause at hand.
Do you think that this campaign has the power to stop Joseph Kony based on the publicity and support the campaign has gained in one week alone?
It is impressive how fast this video has caught the attention of millions of viewers. Kony made the cover of Time from this campaign, but we need more political and celebrity power for persuasion to keep this going and not die out. I think it would be great to see that the common man was able to make such an impact with the KONY project and see him finally brought to justice. (FYI: Nichols is having a cultural next week on KONY for the Be the Change Week)
Where did you first learn of the KONY 2012 video and did you watch it?
ReplyDeleteI first noticed that the name started appearing more and more on people’s statuses, and then my sister sent me the link to watch the video and I ended up watching the whole thing, and found it to be a very well documented video.
What about this video gave it the power to go viral?
I think the most influential part of making this video go viral was that so many people did not know about Kony and once the name began to spread it drew people to watch the video to find out exactly who Kony was and what was really going on. Also, the video was very well documented, I think with the voice behind every scene while incorporating a young child really allowed viewers to see how important this topic is and how it directly affected the lives of people who are under Kony’s power.
Do you feel that the backlash of the filmmaker getting detained will affect this campaign? If not, why? If so, how would you try to restore the campaign from a PR stand point?
I think the article about Russell’s initial detainment that led to only medical attention wont play that big of a factor in the effectiveness of the campaign, it was said that he hasn’t ever had a substance issue and he was fully cooperative with the police when they arrived. Whether the stress with a mix of dehydration and exhaustion made him act out in socially unacceptable ways was behind this, or simply a human error. The facts of the video still hold true and hopefully there will be continued support to stop Kony regardless of what “trouble” the video producers find themselves in.
Do you think that this campaign has the power to stop Joseph Kony based on the publicity and support the campaign has gained in one week alone?
I think the views of this video in one week alone are outstanding, but I’m not sure that just support from the public alone will be able to stop Kony. However, I definitely think the movie producers are on the right path by raising awareness and will help people with the support to stop Kony, but I think more support from the government will need to be present in order to put an end to Kony.
1. I learned of the video originally on Facebook due to many of my friends posting it. Personally I didn’t watch the video and still haven’t. I finally asked someone at school what it was about and they told me about what Kony is doing to the children and the families in Uganda.
ReplyDelete2. The video went viral for a few reasons. The video created an interest among people and then roped them in with the topic itself because let’s face it anything involving kids and terrible acts people tend to pay more attention to it. Finally, the producer gave the video and the cause a sense of urgency that really caused the video to spread as fast as it did.
3. I do think that there will be backlash from the filmmaker’s detention because what he did was so perverted. He made a film about a man who uses children as soldiers and sex slaves for his militia and then he ends up naked on a beach with speculation that he was masturbating. People are going to look at him and lose respect for him and in turn his campaign. I do not think however that there will be a huge decline in support. Just because the filmmaker is some pervert doesn’t mean that Kony is not still out there stealing and mistreating kids. The cause is greater than the man who brought it to everyone’s attention and that is what will keep the movement going.
4. I do think that the campaign will have a strong influence on stopping Kony because the story is now in the public eye meaning the governments of the world will be faced by public outcry to do something. Hopefully the outcry will lead to the UN to take action and stop Kony. The US already has soldiers in Africa trying to find Kony however there are only 100 of them. What this video has the potential to do is draw more support from America and the rest of the world meaning more than 100 US soldiers and more international support to find Kony.
I first learned about the KONY video via Facebook. A friend of mine posted it, and next thing I knew, all my friends were posting it. To be honest, I did not watch the video until just prior to writing this post. I read articles about it, and briefly discussed it among friends, so I understood the content.
ReplyDeleteI think there are a few factors playing into this that made the video go viral. First off, the content of course. You would be a cold hearted person if the news about Kony and what he does and has been doing to children does not bother or upset you. Another factor that plays into this is the editing. It has visually interesting graphics, and Jason Russell talks in spurts, never lecturing or dragging on about one point for too long. The music is used as a tool to generate emotions in the viewer. The last factor that I think plays into the viral madness surrounding this video is how personal they make it. Not only do they show Jason Russell's child (who, quite frankly is one of the cutest freakin' kids I've seen - and also adds a bit of humor), but they show a boy who escaped (and survived!) Kony's army. They show how Kony's horrific actions have affected this one boy. Both boys are shown continuously througout the video, making it nearly impossible to not have some emotion about it.
The backlash of Jason Russell getting arrested will absolutely have an effect on this campaign! When I saw the news of his detention, I had still not seen the video, and it immediately made me question Invisible Children and their legitiamcy. I would have felt this about almost anything he could have been detained for, but the situation of it make it even worse. His wife made a statement saying that drugs and/or alcohol did not play a factor in the incident. Quite frankly, I think thats BS. I've been dehydrated to a pretty serious degree, and I had no incilnation to go around in public doing any of the things he allegedly did. If his medical situation had become that serious, he should have been at the hospital with his wife rather than roaming on the beach. I think the best thing for Invisible Children to do here is to let Jason Russell make a formal statement regarding the incident and to apologize.
I hope this campaign has the support to stop Kony. I think the power of this campaign will really be tested on April 20th, when the posters are going up everywhere. That will be the true test to see how many people are really involved, and didn't just "like" Invisible Children on Facebook and forgot about it.
I first learned about this video through Facebook. It was very appealing to me so I watched it. It was life changing. I never really thought about life in another country. Occasionally I looked in national geographics but I never really got into researching and seeing life outside of the U.S.
ReplyDeleteThere is really nothing special about this video. The content is appealing and does capture the heart of someone, but there are commercials and other things out there are more touching. I believe what made this go viral was the individuals who saw it. Word of mouth is the most powerful way to spread the word about a video and causes it to go viral. Also the editing on this video was done very well. I think if you take into account these 3 factors that is what caused this video to go viral.
I don't believe that this will affect the campaign because this video is not about him. He is simply just someone who is telling his story and giving people information about what is really going on outside of the U.S. The message is stronger than the messenger.
I believe the campaign does have the power to take down Kony, it will all depend on the people that take the action. Spreading the video on Facebook and Twitter is one thing but taking the action to actually stop this problem is what it is going to take in order to stop this guy.
I first learned about the KONY 2012 video on Facebook, it was all over the news feed. I don’t use Facebook that often and ignore most of the videos that get posted on the site. I first watched the video in my Marketing Seminar class.
ReplyDeleteThe video has a lot of aspects that helped it go viral, from the use of little children to the use of powerful images and music. The video was channeled through the right avenues, using celebrities to promote KONY 2012. This then filtered through to those people that follow the celebrity buzz. The government was also involved and targeted throughout this viral spread. Lastly, the power of word of mouth was able to give the video it’s a last power and push to go viral.
I believe that this will hurt the campaign but not on a large scale. I see this as such a powerful video and spread on to the right people and won’t get hurt. This video is very powerful, and is a real situation that needs to be addressed. The severity of this is going to keep this campaign going strong. I believe that there just has to be confidence going forward, you cannot back down from this at this stage of the campaign. The power of the video and actions of the government will speak for itself.
I would say that this campaign is strong enough to take him down, but it does need a few more things to fall into place for it to be successful. There still is a wild card, that is the government and those government officials that are high up that will make the final say. If the support and campaign stays strong then voices will be heard and actions will be taken.
Where did you first learn of the KONY 2012 video and did you watch it?
ReplyDeleteI actually have known of the KONY issues for quite some time now. Back in high school, my good friend Dominique and I became a part of the Invisible Children foundation through our student council organizations. The original movie we watched about this issue both moved me and compelled me to take action. I joined Invisible Children in 2007, and actually even considered joining the Peace Corp to help the world resolve issues like this one. (Darfur, a genocide war in the Sudan was another world issue which compelled me to be more aggressively involved)Unfortunately, college became a priority-but Invisible Children has always been an organization I have passively supported.
What about this video gave it the power to go viral?
The video had the power to go viral because it is powerful. I also think that as soon as children are involved, the issue hurts the heart even more. The film is also incredibly informative, so an individual who does not have as much previous knowledge can understand and find ways to lend a helping hand immediately.
Do you feel that the backlash of the filmmaker getting detained will affect this campaign? If not, why? If so, how would you try to restore the campaign from a PR stand point?
Sadly, yes...even though I do not see the incident as being related to the objective and goal of this film. Invisible Children is a very legitimate organization, so it bothers me when people respond by stating that the KONY 2012 video is a scam. I have no idea what got into the filmmaker because I do not know him. I can also imagine that this is a incredibly mentally straining crisis for Russell's organization, and that he takes a lot of scrutiny from those who do not support. I would not do anything further other than to stay strong from a PR standpoint. The statements have already been made, so now it is time to just let it be.
Do you think that this campaign has the power to stop Joseph Kony based on the publicity and support the campaign has gained in one week alone?
Sadly, I think the issue goes far deeper than social media. I believe that the positive publicity and support will certainly help, but this will be a war until the very end. It will take a peace treaty not a viral video to stop the violence.
Wow, this is such a great topic! I first heard about Kony on facebook. My friends from Canada started invited me to join this group, protest, and just to watch the video. I was a little intrigued, but they are involved in things like this all the time. Then my friends from Massachusetts started posting this to their facebook as well, now I was interested. It had made it internationally so I knew it was big! Then is when I decided to watch the video.
ReplyDeleteIt was first a very well put together video, but what made me really want to help and make a difference was the sense of urgency. This has been going on for years and people knew but nobody felt as big of a need to make a difference. This video found a way to make you need to get up and change it now!
Unfortunately, yes I do feel the backlash. It is part of brand image and even if it did not have anything to do with kony, it is apart of their image. It is the same as an athlete getting into trouble, they represent their team and collage, and it gives the college a reputation!
I don't think it can stop it all in one week. If it were that easy someone would have stopped it before. This video does have the power to create enough awareness in a week for people to continue to work to find a solution and I believe that is the ultimate goal!
I have to say I watched the whole video and found it fascinating. My stepmother poster the video on my Facebook wall and asked me kindly to watch it so I did.
ReplyDeleteThis video gives hope to people and inspires us to see that we can achieve a greater good just by creating awareness and wanting to aid the ones in need. It went viral because the video was made very professionally and there were children involved who were real and in pain. It opened people's eyes in what world we are living in, or in what world some of us are living in. Most of the people in the Western hemisphere have no idea to what extent people are suffering and what is really going on behind the curtains.
The message itself gives the viewer an incentive to share it with others and therefor word of mouth plays a big factor.
I personally have not changed my opinion about the campaign because I don't see how the one incident affects the campaign. However I can see how people might be skeptical and maybe reduce their interest due to this cause. In a way it is like a CEO of a company getting caught doing something unethical and nobody would like that.
In the case that this incident creates a negative buzz, I believe a sincere apology and explanation is necessary from the filmmaker. It could be on a TV talk show, on the website or on YouTube itself.. This would eliminate the whole drama and bring people back to believing in something, which is a great project.
This campaign can achieve miracles, but we will have to see how many actual followers and supporters there are when they do the "poster day". i am just happy that YouTube is actually being used for something this important for once rather than just stupid, funny or uninteresting video clips. And I believe that YouTube is the best place to create such campaigns.
Where did you first learn of the KONY 2012 video and did you watch it?
ReplyDeleteI first learned of the KONY 2012 video on Tumblr (my blog). However, I have known of Invisible Children and the organization's involvement in Uganda since I was a senior in high school. In fact, my senior project was dedicated to raising awareness for the organization. To answer the second part of this question: yes, I watched the video. Twice.
What about this video gave it the power to go viral?
This video went viral for two reasons: the nature of the violence in Uganda, and Jason Russell's message that we must act NOW if we want to put an end to it. Jon said it well: this video and its message was accompanied by a sense of urgency, which is precisely what captured the attention of its viewers; not because Jason Russell decided to include his son.
Do you feel that the backlash of the filmmaker getting detained will affect this campaign? If not, why? If so, how would you try to restore the campaign from a PR stand point?
Jason Russell's detainment will undoubtedly affect this campaign, as it will cause many people to question the credibility of Invisible Children. However, I do not believe that his detainment will destroy the campaign. Over 80 million people have watched the video and are now aware of the situation in Uganda and what they can do to help. In fact, that was precisely why this video was released to begin with.
While I do not believe Invisible Children's campaign will be destroyed, I do believe it would be in Jason Russell's best interest to render an apology to the public. Since I follow IC on Facebook, I receive status updates and posts regularly. Here is one from March 16:
From CEO Ben Keesey:
"Jason Russell was unfortunately hospitalized yesterday suffering from exhaustion, dehydration, and malnutrition. He is now receiving medical care and is focused on getting better. The past two weeks have taken a severe emotional toll on all of us, Jason especially, and that toll manifested itself in an unfortunate incident yesterday. Jason’s passion and his work have done so much to help so many, and we are devastated to see him dealing with this personal health issue. We will always love and support Jason, and we ask that you give his entire family privacy during this difficult time."
Although it was crucial for IC to address this issue, it should have been done by Russell himself (not the CEO). Neglecting to do so is rather careless, and will only hurt his image in the long-run.
Do you think that this campaign has the power to stop Joseph Kony based on the publicity and support the campaign has gained in one week alone?
Yes. Government officials have known about Joseph Kony's war crimes for over two decades. However, it is the public outcry from millions of Americans that has convinced government to act.
1. I saw it was all over Facebook but never looked in to it. In one of my class’s we watched the video and talked about it.
ReplyDelete2. It went viral because he touched the audience in what he was doing and got a fan base together that everyone wanted to make a difference and help some how.
3. It defiantly affected his campaign. I feel like there is no way to restore it he was doing something on the beach that people should not be doing. He was in the spot light he had to know people were always watching his every move. At this time I don’t know how it could be fixed or if there is anyways to fix what he did.
4. This has been going on for many of years and no one did anything and just because someone stepped up to try to change it all people jumped on the ban wagon. I honestly don’t think stopping Kony will do anything someone else will just step up and fill his shoes. This kind of thing has been going on for hundreds of years is not just going to go away.
Where did you first learn of the KONY 2012 video and did you watch it?
ReplyDeleteI first learned of the Kony 2012 video on Facebook. I think I saw it popping up in my newsfeed on the first night that it got really popular. People said that it was life changing for them so I decided to watch it myself.
What about this video gave it the power to go viral?
The fact that people want to make a change, spread the word to do good, watch it to find out something that they might have not known before, fulfill the curiosity of the "social experiment" etc.
Do you feel that the backlash of the filmmaker getting detained will affect this campaign? If not, why? If so, how would you try to restore the campaign from a PR stand point?
When I first watched the video I thought the guy was really cool. Like a few other people might have said I'm pretty sure I heard of the invisible children when we were in high school but he mentioned that he has been working on this for years. I thought that he was someone to look up to as a leader. Then, I heard that this whole thing was a scam for money so I started to think twice. Now hearing about Russell being detained makes me look down on him and makes me think a little bit less about his campaign. I am assuming others might feel the same way about his campaign.
Do you think that this campaign has the power to stop Joseph Kony based on the publicity and support the campaign has gained in one week alone?
No. Probably not. It has been a problem for years now, I don't think it's anything new. Maybe the video has raised awareness to people who didn't know before, but it doesn't change the fact that it's been happening. It doesn't change the fact that there are so many problems in Africa. There are only so many things that we can completely fix, realistically.