This article from the New York Times details the recent turbulence experienced by Uber, mostly a result of its aggressive leader who is said to foster a toxic work environment. The article opens and closes with the recent meeting between Travis Kalanick (the Uber CEO) and Tim Cook (the CEO of Apple) concerning Kalanick’s breaking of Apple App Store rules (you can read the article to learn more about this). I bring this to the attention of the blog because I think it’s a fascinating example of how technology gives consumers access to information they never would’ve had before, and how that can be exceedingly detrimental to a brand. Kalanick has experienced multiple scandals, including an embarrassing scene of him screaming at an Uber driver, which was recorded and posted to the internet. This is an example of how the age of technology has created a forum for everyday people to expose an organization or its leaders for its poor corporate culture. Through activist media then, vigilant citizens can draw attention to problematic people or cultures and inform other civilians who can then make informed consumer choices. This essentially cuts out the middle man, in this case mass corporate media entities. Additionally, because companies could be caught at any moment by vigilant civilian journalists, they are forced to keep their promises more closely than if they were only being held accountable by mass media.