Traditional Media is Failing Conflict Zones –
Civilians are Filling the Void
Student Intern
Op-ed
September 2025
In January 2009, a young Pakistani girl began an anonymous blog for BBC Urdu where she wrote about her life under Taliban rule. At just 11 years old, her first-person accounts — describing the closing of schools, the banning of girls’ education, and her longing to wear colorful clothes — resonated deeply with readers around the world. More than a decade after Malala Yousafzai’s blog, many more citizens living through conflict have taken on the responsibility of reporting through social media. This form of storytelling, often referred to as “citizen journalism,” has gained momentum over the years as a new mode of war reporting. While professional journalists are often blocked or limited in these regions, ordinary citizens document and share their reality with the rest of the world. What traditional media leaves unseen — either by choice or restriction — citizen journalists capture clearly. For many, these videos are personal testimonies of suffering and resilience, reaching audiences worldwide. More than any other news medium, social media can humanize war by showing its most raw and personal moments. It doesn’t just report on damage and suffering — it becomes a shared reality between the witness and viewer.
Citizen journalism has long been used as a way to amplify voices from conflict zones to reach a global audience. Years after Malala’s example of writing anonymously, we now see that the nature of citizen journalism has evolved. Today, the emergence of a new medium has made documenting conflict easier; people are no longer reliant on major news outlets to share their stories internationally. Anyone, regardless of writing level and English fluency, can pick up a phone to record the reality of crisis zones and broadcast it for millions to see. As I scroll through my TikTok and Instagram today, I see countless videos from people living through conflict, offering raw glimpses into their daily struggles, the unsustainable flow of humanitarian aid, and urgent calls for peace.
Before seeing these videos, I first thought social media was primarily a form of news in the U.S. and other regions that younger generations use for local protest and advocacy. But that assumption quickly disappeared when I learned just how impactful social media can be for those living in conflict zones. In Ukraine, for example, social media has become the most widely used source of news during wartime. According to annual studies by the UK-based charity OPORA, social media use for news rose by 13% after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, while reliance on television dropped nearly 25% until 2024. This shift wasn’t caused by younger generations or cultural trends — it was driven by necessity. In regions where internet access is unstable and electricity is scarce, social media has emerged as a faster, more consistent alternative to traditional news.
But the impact of these videos extends far beyond those living through conflict. These videos touch the hearts of people across the globe, helping individuals understand various crises on a deeper level, especially when formal journalists are unable to report directly on the scene. Recognizing this, governments are beginning to see the strengths of social media: maximizing viewership with simple, quick communication. In doing so, social media has grown to be treated as a more legitimate form of news source. In 2022, the Biden administration invited 30 influencers to a briefing on the Ukraine war that was similar to those reserved for reporters. Because some influencers get more viewership than major news outlets, the administration saw their popularity as a chance to reach younger generations and prevent misinformation online.
Though social media is regularly used as a tool to report on updates outside of the zones, insider reporting holds unique value because documentation is varied and deeply personal. While news outlets and influencers outside the conflict focus on portraying the broader political picture and large-scale developments, citizen journalists often highlight the personal, everyday aspects of living through war. For example, 19-year-old Medo Halimy used TikTok to post his “Tent Life” series and other videos offering an intimate look into his daily life in Gaza. “I’m going to plant every day until this war is over,” Medo says in the first video of his gardening series — one of many that documents hope, resilience, and tenacity. He filmed himself cooking, hanging out with friends, and even enjoying the beach, while also answering viewers’ questions on survival. His content shows how war can drastically change daily life: how people shower, wash clothes, get water, withdraw cash, and get around.
Medo, along with other prominent influencers like 11-year-old Yaqeen Hammad, was killed by airstrikes throughout Palestine. Globally known for their joy and generosity in the face of conflict, these influencers have left a strong impact for local neighbors and viewers around the world. “He left a beautiful impression on everyone … Everyone is affected by Medo’s death,” Rahaf Halimy, Medo’s sister, shared on Instagram.
Without the traditional safety of wearing press vests in conflict zones, citizen journalists face immense danger reporting from the ground. In a study on media-related deaths in Syria after the Arab Spring, Reporters Without Borders found that 73% of all media-related deaths included citizen journalists, while 27% of deaths were professional journalists. But the dangers of citizen journalism are not limited to the individuals themselves; reporting on social media can lead to the spread of misinformation. Because social media accounts are not held to the same standard of vetting that major news outlets practice, anyone can easily post false information on targeted violence or humanitarian aid. Some accounts have even used footage from video games and other conflicts, falsely passing it off as recent airstrikes in the Middle East.
Despite these dangers, citizen journalism should not be dismissed for its flaws and limitations. Instead, news outlets should recognize citizen journalism as an irreplaceable form of war correspondence — it is the only form of news that authentically shows conflict from the perspective of those living through it. While not every video can be vetted and fact-checked, news outlets should still treat these firsthand accounts as vital forms of documentation. In zones where journalists are banned or severely restricted, these firsthand videos are all the more important to follow. When the loudest voices in news fall silent, there will always be a citizen armed with a phone and a heart of courage, capturing proof of their life and sharing it with the world.
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Current Source List:
Foreign Journalists banned and local journalists killed in Gaza https://www.npr.org/2025/04/03/nx-s1-5347395/local-journalists-in-gaza-report-on-the-war-as-foreign-journalists-still-lack-access
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SaOHDuwxtY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3GB8gchQKE Social media companies urged to curb Gaza war misinformation
AJ+ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=741knWh3hJ0 “It’s Bisan from Gaza and I’m Still Alive”
11 Year old Gaza INfluencer https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/26/gazas-youngest-influencer-aged-11-among-children-killed-by-israeli-strikes
Video: The war in Gaza through the lens of a Palestinian influencer
Princeton political review: https://www.princetonpoliticalreview.org/international-news/selfies-of-war-the-powerful-role-of-social-media-amidst-the-crisis-in-gaza “Selfies of War: The Powerful Role of Social Media Amidst the Crisis in Gaza
Euronews: Young Palestinians embrace social media (2011, East Jerusalem)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EN0hXZqGy8
BBC Gaza Blogger who documented life (mohammed “Medo”) https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2nyy8y48qo
NBC News “From ‘tent life’ to soccer matches, creators in Gaza share glimpses of daily life during war” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/gaza-creators-vlogs-document-everyday-life-rcna156140
The Cairo Review “Scrolling Social Media Sentiments” https://www.thecairoreview.com/essays/scrolling-social-media-sentiments-on-the-gaza-war/
Cairo Review: Sentiment Analysis: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sChlU6EFYM6bU9_T1U2gnOND1F83f_UpKlIE-uIj6TA/edit?gid=1888307061#gid=1888307061
Human Rights Watch: Meta censorship of Palestine videos https://www.hrw.org/report/2023/12/21/metas-broken-promises/systemic-censorship-palestine-content-instagram-and
UNESCO Journalist safety in conflict zones: https://www.unesco.org/en/safety-journalists/safety-journalists-crisis
Importance of War Information in Ukraine War: https://gjia.georgetown.edu/2024/02/02/russia-ukraine-through-the-eyes-of-social-media/
UChicago Yaqeen: https://voices.uchicago.edu/scholasticide/2025/06/27/yaqeen-hammad-%D8%B5%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%B9%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%8A%D8%B1-the-maker-of-good/
Academic Articles:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/21670811.2014.930245
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1461670X.2023.2293829?src=recsys#d1e114
White House Briefing Influencers: https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/11/politics/social-media-ukraine-russia-biden-administration
Inernational Review — International Red Cross https://international-review.icrc.org/articles/how-harmful-information-on-social-media-impacts-people-affected-by-armed-conflict-926
