The Birth Of The Online Tribute Video
October 23, 2007, 8:04pm
Tribute speeches to state and local heroes are a common occurrence on the House and Senate floors, but few people ever see them. That could change, though, if lawmakers follow the lead of Rep. Steve Cohen, who today posted a tribute speech about an evangelist in Memphis, Tenn., to the YouTube video-sharing site.
“The city of Memphis, Tennessee, has lost one of its finest citizens: Kenneth Whalum Sr.,” said Cohen, D-Tenn. “Kenneth Whalum Sr. passed away last night. He was a pastor; he was a two-time city councilman; he was a father; he was a family man; he was a leader in our community. … There have been few people like Kenneth Whalum Sr. in the city of Memphis; there will be few to come.”
The video already has been viewed by 23 people. Outside of family and friends, that’s probably more than the number who pay attention to such speeches when originally aired on C-SPAN or who read them in the Congressional Record. It’s a fascinating way to move the old-fashioned obituary into the era of online video.
Categories: Tennessee, Steve Cohen, 110th Congress
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