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Viral videos can take the shape of many different forms: different topics, content, and for different reasons. They can range from cute cat videos, music videos, or even strike some sense of controversy. One viral video of recent memory was the video with the Kentucky High School students and the Native American Vietnam Veteran. For anyone who isn’t yet familiar with the story and content of the video, it featured several high school students from Kentucky in front of a Native American Vietnam Veteran playing traditional music. The two parties nearly get into a face off with each other. The video went viral because all the students were wearing Make America Great Again (MAGA) hats in support of right-wing ex-president Donald Trump who is infamous for liberal groups by being very closed off to immigration and for not being very representative of a lot of minority groups. And a lot of people interpreted the events where the Kentucky high school students were mocking or being condescending to the Native American. Others thought that these inferences were too far of a reach and that people were reading too much into nothing. The way that the media reacted was equally polarizing based off of the news stations and how they tended to lean politically. The story spread like wildfire through the country. Left leaning groups jumped on the video as it seems like a symbol of white supremacy as one of the students got in the face of the Native American veteran, smirking in what many believed in a condescending and boastful manner. One of the students in the background was described as even performing racially insensitive gestures of tomahawks toward the veteran. The right leaning groups thought that the criticism of the the students was unwarranted and Donald Trump even weighed in saying that the students were symbols of fake news and how dangerous it can be. Sites like Deplorablekel claim to have the truth behind the events and say that the students themselves were victims of racial slurs and that any white supremacy connotations in the video were untrue. Sites like CNN that are known for being left leaning tried to stay as unbiased as possible and conceding to the general taunting done on all sides that day. This however, came after the main high school student who was staring down the Native American veteran filed a lawsuit against several news publications like CNN and the Washington Post for their negative reporting on the student. Ultimately, I believe that the public did tend to jump a bit too prematurely at the content of the video without understanding the context and how both sides (with another group taunting the students) had some level of disdain for each other. I think that the symbol of the Make America Great Again hats is such a polarizing symbol that has such strong connotations for a lot of people that it was easy to elicit strong emotional reactions for people. And while I do personally think that there was an air of mockery from the students I think the video still has too little to really condemn the students.

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Deepfake is a topic where the technology is always continuing to evolve and surprise me. I feel that many have come across the famous deepfakes of the Tom Cruise impersonator on TikTok or other videos of a similar nature. We might have to do a double take before we realize that the video is a fake. While this might be intended to elicit comedic reactions, this definitely does beg ethical questions and red sirens going off in some part of our minds. These deepfake videos can be used in unflattering and slanderous manners that can damage a persons image or reputation. It might get to a point where the technology is so convincing that we can no longer distinguish reality from digital fabrication. The creation, introduction and advancement of AI face-altering technology is worrisome enough but we have already seen instances where audio can be altered to mimic a persons voice. This can truly create an impersonation of someone, where developers or creators can put any person in any unflattering situation or fabricate any interviews and quotes. Effectively, this would also make it difficult for anyone to disprove and we would have to either enforce a strict set of guidelines or permanently watermark any videos, photos, or audio pieces that used deepfake or other AI techniques or otherwise public figures would have to preface or make some known verification that they are who they say they are. Either way, it is hard to stop technology from evolving at any stage. And even with certain barriers or hoops that would be put in place to counteract against digital impersonation, people will always find a way around it or blatantly not abide by the set of guidelines or rules. There have been some arguments that deep fakers should be protected as a form of artistic expression, freedom of speech. There have been instances where deep fake techniques can be beneficial in a creative sense. This can make actors and actresses appear as their younger selves if the storylines call for it or even bring some of them back from the dead (which has its own controversy attached to it). But ultimately, even artistic expression must be censored or monitored to some degree for the protection of the public or general decency. From a journalistic standpoint, it creates problems because the authenticity of a source will always be questioned or have the off chance of being digitally disingenuous. As journalists, we have to uphold the expectation that our audiences have for us in terms of presenting accurate information with as little bias as possible. If we were to get to a point in our technology where we can digitally fabricate scenarios and it was commonplace and unregulated, journalists would constantly run into issues of authenticity. In an international context, it can be severely detrimental in terms of how to meet sources without falling victim to possible deep fakes. This can have intense ramifications to world organizations and other governments. The amount of ways that deep fakes and developing digital impersonation can go wrong is almost endless which is why it must be kept in check. It won’t go away and granted it should be protected to a degree, but it must still be regulated and limited for national and even global security.

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Important Images

One picture from within a few months that came out that I believe was iconic and says a lot to current events and speaks for itself in terms of power and weight was this one of Ukrainian soldiers banded to defend their home against Russian invaders. But what made this photo garner a lot of attention was the individual in the middle of the back, a bit toward the left. You'll notice one of the soldiers holding a big belt. This soldier was actually Ukrainian mixed martial artist and the Bellator Welterweight champion of the world: Yaroslav Amosov. There were a few Ukrainian combat sports athletes that chose to take up arms in defense of their home country like former boxing champions Vasily Lomachenko, the Klitschko brothers, etc. Yaroslav Amosov shared this photo with the Bellator FC president, Scott Coker alongside with a video. In the video, it shows him climbing out of a basement with a plastic bag in his hand. In the bag, he reveals that his mother had hid his championship belt away in response to the bombings. He said he was relieved that the belt was intact and displayed it on social media. The photo and video conveyed some element of their spirit and pride in their home country. This was the first shared evidence of Yaroslav Amosov being back in his home country to support the war efforts and really demonstrated how the Russian invasion affected so much of the world. As it stands, there are many athletes still in Ukraine defending against Russian invasions.

Another important image that came out from the recent months was this protest photo from Crosscut. The photo was taken in Seattle and I remember seeing it being shared around in light of the Roe v. Wade overturned case concerning abortion rights for women. This photo was one of many photos that came out where people of all different backgrounds, genders, races, etc. had joined together to speak out against the US Supreme Court's decision to overturn the Roe v. Wade case. When these news came out, I remember personally feeling like there was a huge step backwards in basic human rights and freedom. But regardless of how I felt, I knew this was momentous because of how a lot of people my age felt about the situation. It was all over everyone's social media and articles and facts were being shared by everyone. It's also important to note the media's coverage of the events and how protests were very common during this time period. These photos of protests would show people with signs, walking, being visibly passionate about their beliefs. This image is a bit in contrast to others as it displays these young adults with very blank expressions. It's as if to say that they are fed up with the climate of these days in terms of law and order. This was not too far removed from the George Floyd riots and Black Lives Matter movements. It's safe to say that these problems were and are still relevant and have not disappeared and then have Roe v. Wade being overturned was another nail in the coffin of how people feel that their rights need to be protected because they feel discriminated against.

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About Me

My name is Maximus Osburn and I'm a CSUN Broadcast Journalism student. I enjoy nature, film, and general adventuring but I would find it hard to describe myself without explaining my love for martial arts. Martial Arts has always been a part of my life, always entranced with all types as depicted in movies; namely the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sparked this interest. My step-father was also very integral to the development of my understanding of martial arts as he trained different disciplines.

Though, I've only began training in recent years, I can't explain the insurmountable presence it has in my life now. I have learned that there is more to martial arts and combat sports than just insensible violence. It's more than anything about bettering yourself. There's nothing healthier for your ego and grandiosity than training practical martial arts. I say 'practical' because I don't think you can reap the same physical, mental, and spiritual benefits if you're not learning applicable martial arts that would suffice in protection and defense in the real world. Yes, no single martial art system is perfect but there are definitely ones that are more grounded than others in specific aspects. I don't aim to put down any discipline but off of the top of my head I would say that some of the best martial arts to look into include wrestling, Jiu Jitsu, Judo, boxing, and Muay Thai.

When you throw yourself into a martial arts school you get humbled pretty quickly. It may be intimidating and for many that walk through the doors of a facility for the first time, it becomes their only time or one of few. But sticking with it and taking it seriously while also taking yourself seriously will only benefit you. It will test you and you will fail the test less and less each time. It's something I recommend to everyone and is definitely an integral aspect to my identity. In 5 years time, I hope to be a combat sports broadcaster or at least working my way up to that role.