- P. J. Britto, Victoria, Australia
In an increasingly interconnected world, the concept of global citizenship has emerged as a pivotal framework for understanding and addressing the complex challenges of our time. Within this framework, journalism education plays a crucial role in cultivating global awareness, empathy, and responsibility among both citizens and future media practitioners. This paper explores the integration of global culture into contemporary journalism education, with a specific focus on how digital platforms such as YouTube are reshaping the landscape of global citizenship consciousness. Through a multifaceted analysis, this research highlights the potential of YouTube as an educational tool for raising awareness about social inequality, amplifying the voices of marginalized communities, and promoting social justice, thereby fostering a deeper sense of global solidarity.
YouTube - Voice of the marginalised community - Case study of NMCT
A central theme of this research is the ability of YouTube to act as a medium for democratizing access to information and creating spaces for underrepresented voices. The platform’s broad reach and participatory nature have enabled individuals and organizations such as NMCT to share diverse perspectives on pressing global issues, from climate change to economic inequality and human rights violations. The study examines how these narratives contribute to building a more inclusive and representative global discourse. In particular, marginalized communities—often overlooked in mainstream media—can use YouTube to advocate for their rights and make visible the struggles and resilience of their societies. This paper argues that by amplifying these voices, YouTube plays a crucial role in the ongoing project of global citizen education.
Story telling to global citizens through YouTube in India
Another significant angle of this research is the role of NGOs and other humanitarian organizations of India, in utilizing YouTube as a platform for public engagement. In regions of extreme poverty and social challenges, NGOs often face significant barriers to raising awareness and inspiring empathy. By harnessing the storytelling potential of YouTube, NGOs can engage a global audience, providing a direct and often emotionally compelling window into the lives of those affected by social inequities. This paper analyzes case studies where NGOs have successfully used YouTube to generate awareness, mobilize resources, and foster empathy, thereby advancing their mission to address pressing humanitarian issues. The impact of such digital engagement on global citizenship is considered, particularly in the context of how YouTube enables cross-border collaboration and solidarity.
YouTube’s user-generated content in journalism education
In the broader context of journalism education, this research emphasizes how platforms like YouTube can be integrated into curricula to foster global citizenship consciousness. Journalism educators are increasingly tasked with preparing students not just to report on local and national issues, but to understand and communicate global stories that require sensitivity to cross-cultural dynamics. YouTube, with its vast repository of user-generated content from across the world, provides a unique resource for cultivating this understanding. This paper explores how digital narratives of global culture—ranging from cultural festivals to political activism—are presented on YouTube and how these can be utilized in journalism classrooms to enhance students’ global awareness and their ability to report with a global perspective. The discussion focuses on how YouTube, as a digital humanities tool, helps journalists-in-training engage with global narratives and understand the ethical implications of their work in a globalized media environment.
Finally, the research draws on the role of digital platforms in shaping global consciousness and responsibility. In an age where media platforms are often accused of contributing to fragmentation and misinformation, this paper offers a more optimistic perspective: YouTube, when used thoughtfully, can be a powerful tool for global citizen education. By highlighting issues of inequality, fostering empathy, and promoting cross-cultural understanding, YouTube contributes to the creation of a more informed, empathetic, and globally responsible citizenry. The paper concludes with recommendations on how journalism educators can leverage digital platforms to integrate global culture into their pedagogy, thus co-constructing a more interconnected and conscientious global society.
*NMCT - Native Medicare Charitable Trust is an NGO in India working for the emancipation of poor and the marginalised.
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