Final trailer and proposal on the media

Anonymous is a group - not even a group but an ideal - shrouded in mystery. Few people have the same definition of Anonymous as it is known on the Internet. Some call them heroes, other call them criminals. Some call them teenage hooligans, others call them lost souls on the Internet. Those even in Anonymous struggle to form a cohesive identity.

As media outlets begin to delve into the world of Anonymous and trolls, they too are having trouble explaining the idiosyncrasies and identity of the Internet phenomenon. Media outlets exist to scour the world of information and sort out information they believe the public should or wants to know. They transpose this myriad of information into news stories that people can understand. In the case of Anonymous, there is no single identity — not even close — therefore there is no common stance from the media.

The media has called trolls "hackers on steroids" and questioned if Anonymous' actions against Scientology are hate crimes; they are obviously interested in this issue and want the public to know. Are these fair presumptions? Or are they taking trolling for lulz out of proportion? Is it just a bunch of kids pulling pranks on their peers and elders like the kids of the past putting cherry bombs in mailboxes or ding-dong ditching? My research will focus on the legitimacy and objectiveness of these media reports. I will determine which side of the issue they fall on - and how the masses respond to that.