A New World of Information

"One of the most infamous men of the 20th century met a very 21st century fate Saturday morning. Within hours of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s hasty execution at the hands of masked hangmen, amateur cameraphone clips taken by eyewitnesses joined television feeds of the event on video distribution sites YouTube and Google Video. Television clips available on the internet within hours of his death showed executioners roughly placing a noose around Hussein’s neck. An amateur video clip of the event, taken on the cameraphone, then shows a pause before Hussein’s sudden plunge from the gallows. The grim amateur footage—unavailable on mainstream outlets such as the web sites of CNN and The New York Times—marks an era where eyewitnesses can crank out accounts of news events seen by millions within just a few hours. " - Red Herring