Jason Margolis

Jason Margolis

Jason Margolis is a Boston-based reporter who regularly files stories throughout the U.S. about politics, economics, immigration issues, and environmental matters.

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Kony 2012: Through the Eyes of Middle School Students

March 19, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment
Playground (Photo: Cambridge Friends School)

“Kony 2012″ is still going strong. The video about the Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony has gotten 83 million hits on You Tube since it was posted two weeks ago.

It’s also generated a lot of controversy for being short on accuracy and over-simplified. The video is designed to get young people to care about a distant conflict – the case of Joseph Kony who’s accused of abducting tens of thousands of children and turning them into soldiers.

The World’s Jason Margolis visited an 8th grade history class at Cambridge Friends School, a private school in Massachusetts, to get a sense of what the students there think of the film and its message.

Students were both inspired and turned off by the film. Reactions about the movie ranged from “inspiring” to “hype” to “self-indulgent.”

Discussion

9 comments for “Kony 2012: Through the Eyes of Middle School Students”

  • DonnaVee

    What is not accurate about the video?  By not being specific, you have cast the video as completely fraudulent.  And I don’t think that is true, is it?  So now, who is being inaccurate? Are you and the journalist you interviewed adhering to the same journalistic standards you seem to be imposing on everyone and anyone else – no matter the nature of the work or the purpose of the information they are transmitting to the rest of us.  I think even the young kids in your story were and are able to understand that this video was not a journalistic  piece and was in the nature of advertizing – albeit for a good cause.  For the journalist to suggest the producers of the video were “evil” without even identifying what about the film was inaccurate is irresponsible especially without any explanation or justification for why you think they should be held to a journalistic standard of accuracy in the first place. 

    • https://www.williammcpherson.tumblr.com/ William McPherson

      You make excellent points. I refer you to Nicholas Kristof’s column last week http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/15/opinion/kristof-viral-video-vicious-warlord.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss and to Lisa Shannon writing on Kristof’s New York Times blog http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/09/konys-victims-and-the-kony-2012-video/, and my own thoughts here http://williammcpherson.tumblr.com/post/19076769962/the-astonishing-thing

  • Jacob Burns

    For a long time I have listened to PRI and never felt the need to post a comment but I feel that you have unjustly painted KONY2012 and Invisible Children and by allowing the 8th graders to label the organization and cast doubt upon them without providing any support from the report I think is the most deceptive piece about this bit.

  • http://twitter.com/jasonmargolis jasonmargolis

    Thank you for your comments and sharing your perspectives. This film has no doubt generated a lot of passionate debate.

    To defend my radio story, and our other stories on “The World,” I would like to emphasize that we are far from the only journalism outfit that has pointed out inaccuracies in the Kony 2012 video. Here are a few examples:

    http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/03/07/guest_post_joseph_kony_is_not_in_uganda_and_other_complicated_things

    http://globalspin.blogs.time.com/2012/03/08/why-you-should-feel-awkward-about-the-kony2012-video/

    Additionally, many academics who study Africa, as well as Ugandans themselves have criticized the film:

    http://blogs.aljazeera.com/africa/2012/03/14/ugandans-react-anger-kony-video

    To your criticism that my particular story didn’t detail each specific inaccuracy in the film, that was not the point of the story. My story’s purpose, which was clearly stated, was to document how a classroom of 8th graders, a target audience for the film, are feeling about the video. No more, no less. If you listen to my story, the 8th graders provide a very sophisticated analysis both in favor and critical of the Kony 2012 video. I think our reporting reflects this balance as well.

    Best,
    Jason Margolis

  • Steven Augello

    I personally thought this piece was very interesting. I believe I am sufficiently versed in the accuracy and altruistic nature of the video, or lack thereof. But rather than hearing journalists and experts debate the facts and ethics over again, I appreciate hearing the reaction and insight from the 8th graders ostensibly targeted in the video. I think it’s a good perspective on the subject, and I’m disappointed that the comment thread had to revert to the same discussion that’s being rehashed on thousands of other threads all over the web.

  • Papworth_Everad

    Allowing Children!! (Jacob Burns) is not this the point of the interview!  Children debating in a school where opinions are respected allowed, coming to a balanced conclusion. There appears nothing deceptive other than we (adults) do not take into account how wired in to the new forms of media the kids are. 

    Lets face it most videos that go viral are driven by the younger generation, as this is what interests them most. Regardless of Invisible Children’s motives, the kids in the school made some discerning points. They just happen to be opinions that not everyone might share.

    • Jacob Burns

      The cast played both on the radio and the internet make claims that the organization is deceptive. In a true debate and in reporting they should have provided evidence to it rather than just spitting out diatribe from someone elses viral video attacking Invisible Children.
      I think its great that the conversation was taking place in a classroom. Now get down to the WHY do you think its deceptive.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Emily-Johnson/100000068613550 Emily Johnson

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NIAYHLxYb8 Kony and Jason Russell talk.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Emily-Johnson/100000068613550 Emily Johnson

    http://www.whatareplyometrics.com A blog about plyometrics, what they are and how to do them. Learn to run faster and jump higher now!