All Gas No Brakes: How Independent Media Is Shaping Our Future
Andrew Callaghan opens his All Gas No Brakes coverage of the protest in Minneapolis against police brutality and the killing of George Floyd with a dramatic scene.
The popular comedy YouTuber is standing shoulder-to-shoulder with protesters in front of a burning building.
It’s not funny. But it is impactful.
Callaghan is using his platform to let the distraught demonstrators have their thoughts on the protests and police brutality heard and by doing so, is imagining a better future.
What follows in the video is a six-minute account from people on the scene — reaching Callaghan’s over three million viewers — something mainstream media didn't do.
Many mainstream media outlets abandoned the merit of these protests for headlines focused on violence, thereby generating more traffic (and revenue) to their sites.
Because independent media is motivated by a different set of values, they have the freedom to use their platform in a more positive manner.
By showcasing a variety of ideas, and by displaying compassion, an internet culture so quick to take things at face value is given a chance at fair-minded discussion — something abandoned too often.
Setting aside the tactics of the protesters, hearing their motive allows us to imagine how the world can be — and ultimately, understand the violence as an expression of frustration, and an opportunity for hope in a more equitable future.
Along with showcasing the many opinions on the matter, this short YouTube video represents a shift in how content is consumed.
Rather than older generations influencing change, it's now young minds that cause waves of change, using the Internet as their tool.
Outdated styles of content and platforms are being adapted for a growing population of short attention spans, and a hunger for authenticity derived from the boom of social media, and social media raised children.
We also see that influencers have more reach to sell whatever it may be that they’re pushing — an idea, a style or a product. In most cases, even more than big brands can through conventional media.
Ironically, as we’re getting further apart physically, and using the internet more, we have the opportunity to feel more connected to individuals. Individuals that are using the Internet as a platform to exchange ideas and discussion and influence action. Something that Andrew Callaghan demonstrates in his Minneapolis Protest video.
This post was written by Emet Marrale, Content Creator Intern.
Emet is a recent high-school graduate, with an interest in multi-media, film and business.
He assists with a variety of content projects including video production, graphic design, marketing material, and blogging.
Emet’s artistic eye helps us bring new ideas to life, and push our creative vision to new heights.