The War on the Web

July 26, 2006 — -- There's a war raging, and it's not only in the Middle East -- it's in cyberspace, too.

Hundreds of would-be journalists are using blogs, videos and online rants to plead for peace or the destruction of their enemy.

Search for "Hezbollah," "Israel" or "Iraq" on the popular video Web site, YouTube.com, and you'll find hundreds of videos viewed tens of thousands of times by the site's users.

Google the same terms, and there's no telling how many hits you'll get.

The Web has given birth to a term used with increasing frequency, "citizen journalist," and in the digital age the home-brewed ink slinger has the potential to reach as vast an audience as any established publication, radio or television outlet.

"For years, news came from on high, in that it only traveled one way," said Brent Cunningham, managing editor of the Columbia Journalism Review. "Now we see that it goes both ways. There's blowback. There are ways to challenge the press."

Challenge they do.

By offering a new and more opinionated outlet for information seekers, citizen journalists -- whose numbers are virtually indeterminable -- can take advantage of the mediums and reach the Internet offers.

YouTube says that videos from its site are viewed 100 million times a day, meaning its viewers are not limited to the United States or the Middle East, but all over the world.

At almost 300,000 hits, the most viewed video on the site regarding the state of the Mideast conflict is a silent commentary.

It's video seemingly shot from the balcony of a high-rise building and it shows Israeli bombs falling on Beirut, the sound of explosions echoing through the city.