Using the camera in your pocket can be a valuable way to ensure the world bears witness to abusive policing and systemic racism, help hold authorities accountable, and advocate for the real safety of our communities.
To make an impact as a witness, you need to know your rights and how to exercise them, understand how to best prepare yourself and your phone and have a plan for what you’ll do with an important photo or video after you shoot it.
This PSA highlights a few tips from Witness’ guidance, tips and strategies for filming safely, ethically and effectively.
The PSA was designed by F.Y. Eye’s fantastic Summer Social Impact Design Intern Mandy Licata.
WITNESS is an international human rights organization that helps people use video and technology to protect human rights.
Today, technology – mobile phones – are in the hands of millions of bystanders and active witnesses, making it harder to file false police reports, creating a road to justice, and showing the bigger systemic picture of structural racism and white supremacy.
Peter Gabriel founded WITNESS after the violent police beating of Rodney King was captured on video.The video back then – similar to the video of George Floyd’s murder – inspired protests as the video documented the brutal beating of Rodney King by the Los Angeles police.
Learn more about WITNESS by clicking here.