On the user’s side: YouTube and distant witnessing in the age of technology-enhanced mediability

The rise of YouTube as a means of social struggle is progressively reshaping the relationship between macro-level international organizations and local actors who adopt media-based resistance strategies. Accordingly, this article addresses the following issue: how has the evolution and expansion of YouTube redefined the political relevance of viewership? To answer this question, the transforming role of the viewer will be examined through the comparison of diverse human rights videos which sparked national and international outrage. This comparison will shed light on how the development and transnational diffusion of new forms of online video-mediated communication have changed the social perception of everyday media practices and experiences. Ultimately, the recent use of camera-drones and live-streaming technologies will be discussed in relation to pioneering forms of collective digital witnessing and their implications in the contemporary political landscape.