ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the potential of live social video to disrupt – both negatively, and as a positive force for change. Documenting violence in real time through numerous streaming video sources can provide evidence to support change or propel people to act. Live videos from the scene in Portland and elsewhere exemplify what Peters calls access to truth and authenticity. Live broadcasts on social media also bring conveniences, such as the availability of citizen eyewitness video, which can allow news media to take viewers to breaking events without sending out their own crews. Also, with many news organizations shutting down their comment sections, livestreaming offers an alternative forum for discussion. Granted, trolls can impede civil discourse during streams by posting distasteful, hateful, or even violent comments. The concept of paying to be heard goes beyond monetization, as people have seen with the in-real-life streamers.
