Three photojournalists embedded with the First Battalion in Afghanistan are posting dispatches on Basetrack.org, a cool map-based site funded by a Knight Foundation Grant. While the site is terrific, the project’s Facebook page has turned into a unique experience of its own — a sort of collaborative journalism crossed with a support group.
“This is actually the most interesting thing to me,” said Basetrack’s Teru Kuwayama in an interview. “We don’t have an unlimited budget to run a satellite transmitter and send out pictures every day, so we’ve actually uploaded very little content. What is happening pretty fast is that the mothers, girlfriends, husbands, etc., started searching for pictures of the Marines and then posted them on the Web site. So the site generates its own content now.”
The Facebook page defaults on an open wall, where Basetrack updates are mixed with posts from family members. Some post photos, others ask for them, and Basetrack photographers respond in comments. The response has been overwhelming.
“I luv this whole project,” writes one woman on the wall. “It has truly saved me from a devastating depression and uncontrollable anxiety after my son deployed. Having this common ground with other moms helped me so much and gives me encouragement each day.” Adds another woman who saw a photo of her husband, “I cannot even begin to find the words to thank you. It was without a doubt the bestest Christmas present EVER!!!!”
And all because Basetrack decided to set their wall to “Basetrack+others”, allowing anyone to post to a tight-knit community of military families, desperate to hear any development from the deserts and mountains of Afghanistan.