We had the privilege of having National Geographic Chris Rainier speak at the Cronkite School. He spoke about the democratization of story telling, of which he is an active teacher and participant. Rainier travels to far parts of the world and to remote cultures teaching them how to document their own stories, language and songs.

I think he spoke about very real trends in journalism. As different parts of the world become more connected they also begin to control the stories and narratives about their own cultures. In my two year Peace Corps service from 2011-2013 I saw my village go from zero connectivity to smart phones. I saw people in my village start to photograph and document videos of daily life and share them online. It was wonderful to see what they felt deserved documentation versus what I felt deserved documentation. I cannot wait to see Mwinilunga, one of the most remote and underfunded (by the government) districts develop their own narratives online and begin to share experiences through their own eyes.