Here is the podcast version of this article:
Casey Neistat is a filmmaker and one of youtube’s most powerful influencers. Matt Hackett is the V.P. of Engineering at Tumblr. In July of 2015, the duo created a video sharing company called Beme that they hoped would “reshape social media into the vehicle for candid, unfiltered perspectives” (Hackett 2016). It failed. As they explained on their website, Beme may have failed their lofty expectations of revolutionizing video sharing, but in doing so they accessed something way greater than planned.
On November 28, CNN purchased Beme for $25 million to become their very own social media news outlet. Together they may have saved us as far as political freedom in an active democracy. Snapchat revolutionized the way we share our lives. DJ Khaled getting lost on his jet ski in Miami becomes a captivating event because it is a real life situation rather than an edited movie. Beme intended to do exactly that by bringing this exclusive feeling to everyone. The app recorded videos by having the user hold their phone to their body. Once released from your body the video is immediately shared online without providing the chance to edit. This type of technology is the next step in bridging the gap between virtual reality and real life.
Beme intended to make sure that sharing an experience does not let technology take the experience away from us. It is the perfect application for news coverage because it forces its users to immediately post their perspective without edits or filters. In purchasing Beme, CNN is taking an important step towards keeping trust between the people and their news. The move will help preserve the integrity of information coming from online news sources by offering the most honest content possible. This form of video sharing will hopefully help people overcome the epidemic of manipulative news coverage.
This is an important idea that we may all eventually have to pay attention to on a daily basis.
It is an honest and intimate form of video sharing that will hopefully be able to overcome the epidemic of press manipulation. As we have seen in the last election, traditional news coverage is becoming controlled by what Dr. Peter Haslund described to me as, “the passion of the moment rather than the intervention of reason.” CNN bought Beme because it is the most honest source of sharing experience that will be able make the news more trustworthy.
CNN will soon announce its launch of their own social media application powered by Beme. I asked local SBCC student, Katie B., her take on the matter. She said, “maybe this will cover news that has never been covered before not so classified hiding so many things that we find it at its worse. Not to scare public, but will tell more to allow us to ensure more trust in our country.” Maybe CNN integrate Beme into its other social media platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat. It will be a source for avid social media users to attain vital and truthful political information.
