Liveleak
Encyclopedia
LiveLeak is a video sharing
website that lets users post and share videos. Liveleak places emphasis on current events, politics and reality-based footage such as war scenes from various parts of the world.
The site went live on October 31, 2006. Founded by the team responsible for the Ogrish.com
shock site
, it aims to take reality footage, politics, and world events and combine them with the power of citizen journalism
.
The site came to prominence in 2007 following the unauthorized filming and leaking of the execution of Saddam Hussein
, and was referred to by White House Press Secretary
Tony Snow
and then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair
.
. Unlike YouTube
, the Vlogs on Liveleak are more political and are known for debate.
film Fitna
made by Dutch politician Geert Wilders
. Liveleak holds to being strictly non-biased in its approach to members and their content, believing in freedom of speech within the site rules regardless of how certain content might offend them personally. "Fitna" was taken down after threats were made against Liveleak staff, but (as of 2008) is back online after Liveleak reportedly improved security. The video was once again removed on April 1, this time it was removed by the user citing that it was taken down due to copyright wrangles and a new version will be uploaded "soon".
has restricted access to websites such as YouTube
and MySpace
in order to prevent violations of Operations Security. One can easily watch war footage from Iraq
and Afghanistan
, which many show videos from soldiers of the United States and other countries.
programme "Panorama
" broadcast a show about how young people were getting physically assaulted and knocked unconscious. When Panorama queried the "extremely violent videos" that had been posted to LiveLeak's website, the co-founder, Hayden Hewitt, refused to have them taken down and stated "Look all this is happening, this is real life, this is going on, we're going to show it."
Liveleak states there are relatively few such videos on the site and should the uploaders be found to have been involved in the filming and / or involved in a violent attack they (Liveleak) will aid the police with any prosecutions.
When pressed regarding point three, Hewitt refused to state exactly which kind of racial slurs or racism were allowed, saying: "Why make it clear? Better people err on the side of caution IMO." Further into the thread Hewitt points out censorship is based on protecting the site rather than people's feelings. This use of censorship by Liveleak to protect itself has led to accusations of hypocrisy by some Livleakers.
Video hosting service
A video hosting service allows individuals to upload video clips to an Internet website. The video host will then store the video on its server, and show the individual different types of code to allow others to view this video...
website that lets users post and share videos. Liveleak places emphasis on current events, politics and reality-based footage such as war scenes from various parts of the world.
The site went live on October 31, 2006. Founded by the team responsible for the Ogrish.com
Ogrish.com
Ogrish.com was a shock site which presented uncensored news coverage and multimedia material based for the most part on war, accidents and executions.Much of the material depicted was graphic, uncensored, gory videos and images...
shock site
Shock site
A shock site is a website that is intended to be offensive, disgusting and/or disturbing to its viewers, containing materials of high shock value which is also considered distasteful and crude, and is generally of a pornographic, scatological, extremely violent, insulting, painful, profane, or...
, it aims to take reality footage, politics, and world events and combine them with the power of citizen journalism
Citizen journalism
Citizen journalism is the concept of members of the public "playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information," according to the seminal 2003 report We Media: How Audiences are Shaping the Future of News and Information...
.
The site came to prominence in 2007 following the unauthorized filming and leaking of the execution of Saddam Hussein
Execution of Saddam Hussein
The execution of Saddam Hussein took place on December 30, 2006 . Saddam was sentenced to death by hanging, after being found guilty and convicted of crimes against humanity by the Iraqi Special Tribunal for the murder of 148 Iraqi Shi'ite in the town of Dujail in 1982, in retaliation for an...
, and was referred to by White House Press Secretary
White House Press Secretary
The White House Press Secretary is a senior White House official whose primary responsibility is to act as spokesperson for the government administration....
Tony Snow
Tony Snow
Robert Anthony "Tony" Snow was an American journalist, political commentator, television news anchor, syndicated columnist, radio host, musician, and the third White House Press Secretary under President George W. Bush. Snow also worked for President George H. W. Bush as chief speechwriter and...
and then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
.
Your Say
"Your Say" is the premiere section of Liveleak where users upload their own videos, much like a VlogVlog
Video blogging, sometimes shortened to vlogging or vidding or vidblogging is a form of blogging for which the medium is video, and is a form of Web television. Entries often combine embedded video or a video link with supporting text, images, and other metadata. Entries can be recorded in one take...
. Unlike YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, the Vlogs on Liveleak are more political and are known for debate.
Liveleak and Fitna
Liveleak was in the spotlight again in March 2008 when it hosted the anti-Qur'anQur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
film Fitna
Fitna (film)
Fitna is a 2008 short political, propaganda film by Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders with his view on the religion of the Islam. Approximately 17 minutes in length, the movie shows selected excerpts from Suras of the Qur'an, interspersed with media clips and newspaper cuttings showing or...
made by Dutch politician Geert Wilders
Geert Wilders
Geert Wilders is a Dutch right-wing politician and leader of the Party for Freedom , the third-largest political party in the Netherlands. He is the Parliamentary group leader of his party in the Dutch House of Representatives...
. Liveleak holds to being strictly non-biased in its approach to members and their content, believing in freedom of speech within the site rules regardless of how certain content might offend them personally. "Fitna" was taken down after threats were made against Liveleak staff, but (as of 2008) is back online after Liveleak reportedly improved security. The video was once again removed on April 1, this time it was removed by the user citing that it was taken down due to copyright wrangles and a new version will be uploaded "soon".
U.S soldiers
Since May 14, 2007, The Defense DepartmentUnited States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
has restricted access to websites such as YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
and MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
in order to prevent violations of Operations Security. One can easily watch war footage from Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, which many show videos from soldiers of the United States and other countries.
Children fights
On July 30, 2007, the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
programme "Panorama
Panorama (TV series)
Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
" broadcast a show about how young people were getting physically assaulted and knocked unconscious. When Panorama queried the "extremely violent videos" that had been posted to LiveLeak's website, the co-founder, Hayden Hewitt, refused to have them taken down and stated "Look all this is happening, this is real life, this is going on, we're going to show it."
Liveleak states there are relatively few such videos on the site and should the uploaders be found to have been involved in the filming and / or involved in a violent attack they (Liveleak) will aid the police with any prosecutions.
Racial slurs and racism on LiveLeak
Hayden Hewitt has made three specific points regarding racism on Liveleak: "1) We don't particularly care whether you are racist or not. As an organisation we take no stance on your ideologies or beliefs." "2) We don't particularly care if people are offended by what they might see on LiveLeak. It's not our job, or intention, to wrap any religion or race in cotton wool on here." and this seemingly contradictory third point, "3) We will not tolerate certain racial slurs."When pressed regarding point three, Hewitt refused to state exactly which kind of racial slurs or racism were allowed, saying: "Why make it clear? Better people err on the side of caution IMO." Further into the thread Hewitt points out censorship is based on protecting the site rather than people's feelings. This use of censorship by Liveleak to protect itself has led to accusations of hypocrisy by some Livleakers.