The Iranians who filmed the death of Neda Soltan and then used the internet to get it out received a prestigious George Polk Award for videography. It's the first time the award was given to an anonymously produced work:
“We don't know who took it or who uploaded it, but we know it has news value,” said John Darnton, curator of the George Polk Awards. “This award celebrates the fact that, in today's world, a brave bystander with a cell-phone camera can use video-sharing and social networking sites to deliver news.”
The NY Times tracked down some of the brave people who helped get the video out. The chain includes Iranians in and out of the country using email, Facebook and YouTube before Soltan's death went viral.
The videos making the biggest impact on the world are no longer produced by the mainstream media, but by ordinary people armed with — in this case — a cell phone and an internet connection.
