As one of the last trends, citizen journalism is a fascinating topic, but it raises a lot of questions."people who are non-journalists commit random acts of journalism"So, in other words, it is user- generated news.
But in what way does it differ from the mainstream media? Are traditional media so outdated they have become an endangered species, about to disappear? What relationship can exist between the mainstream media and citizen journalism? Are they actual rivals or potential partners?
Start by checking out this short and funny video :
I'll ad that, first, even if people can be the only witness of an unexpected event, where no journalist was... in order for a large audience to know about it and see their video, they still need it to be broadcasted by the mainstream 
media to have the news circulate. And the mainstream media make the news more easily accessible to a large number of people.
The true positive side of citizen journalism is that it widens the range of information providers. I learnt in high school that 75% of the images broadcasted in the world came from CNN. Knowing that, it is harder to expect different opinions and perspectives from the mainstream media... CJ is about views and news. I agree that if the content that is posted as news by the people looks like the scoop of the century, it may be a rumor as well (see the Steve Jobs case...), but when it is just a controversial report that does not follow the media's bias, it may be worth hearing it, if it is supported by evidences - whatever topic it is about.
media to have the news circulate. And the mainstream media make the news more easily accessible to a large number of people.The true positive side of citizen journalism is that it widens the range of information providers. I learnt in high school that 75% of the images broadcasted in the world came from CNN. Knowing that, it is harder to expect different opinions and perspectives from the mainstream media... CJ is about views and news. I agree that if the content that is posted as news by the people looks like the scoop of the century, it may be a rumor as well (see the Steve Jobs case...), but when it is just a controversial report that does not follow the media's bias, it may be worth hearing it, if it is supported by evidences - whatever topic it is about.
Then, the mainstream media can also benefit from that trend by offering the users a forum, like CNN did with Ireport. They understood they won't be out of business if they establish a partnership with citizen journalists, and it can be lucrative. They get videos, news and freelance for free! And let's face it, they are not really threatened because they are an institution ...whenever politicians have important information to pass through, they organize a press conference for journalists to spread the word. They won't call you first...
So, I think it doesn't have to be one or the other. It will take some time for us to adjust to this new source of information, and to figure out which sites provide reliable, quality content. And I think most people will continue to trust mainstream media even if they criticize them.
But the concept of Citizen Journalism is definitely rising because it promotes freedom of thought and passion for knowledge, in the hands of the people. It can be seen a contribution from active citizens, a form of political participation, without being automatically tagged as amateurism.
Photo credits to :
- www.cartoonstock.com
-http://bp1.blogger.com
-http://413rimrats.blogspot.com
-http://lifeinbonitasprings.com
And if you have 9 minutes, watch this very interesting video about this topic...
5 comments:
Citizen journalism tools will increasingly be applied to niche audiences, such as coverage of a conference, sharing the experiences of those at the meeting with other attendees and those unable to attend.
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hennry
promoter
@leany
I agree with you. There is definitely a way to have citizen journalism be a part of niche audiences. But I am afraid that when it expands beyond these expertise niches, and reaches people who don't know how to differentiate between real news and average people stories...that could be scary.
@ leany and Kim...
Hi, you are both right. Citizen journalism can really be a way of having non professional experts, that is to say aficionados of a specific topic to provide material and news about it, especially when the mainstream media tend to not cover niches and niche audiences.
I really don't like the idea of CNN benefiting from iReports. No revenue is flowing towards contributors whatsoever. I would rather write for a blog where there are several people working under that umbrella and get paid for my work with advertising revenue. It's a raw deal for iReporters, in my opinion...
Really quality post! Loved the leggo video and the pics. I think you covered both sides of the subject of Citizen Journalism very well and came to a balanced conclusion. There are good and bad things about Citizen Journalism, and what needs to happen is we need to find a way to minimize errors.
About what Alex commented people on IReport are getting stiffed. I just read on another blog that there's a similar Korean site that does pay. Wonder how long until that happens here?
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