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Citizen Journalism

Page history last edited by Tarez 15 years, 3 months ago

     With the transformation from print to online journalism, trained, professional journalists are being sidelined by the rising trend of citizen journalism. But what constitutes being a "citizen journalist" versus "a journalist"?

    Scott Gant  wrote in an article in the Los Angeles Times, "How Big Should the 'Shield' Be?": "Not long ago, the boundaries between journalists and the rest of us were relatively clear. If you worked for a TV or radio station's news division, a newspaper or a magazine -- then you were a journalist. Everyone else was not." But with the creation of blogs and comment pages, citizens have the ability to proclaim themselves journalists without assuming the responsibility of professional journalists to be fair, accurate, and balanced in their reporting and writing.  Jose A. Vargas quotes author Andrew Keen in his Washington Post article, "Storming the News Gatekeepers," as saying, "Journalists follow a set of standards, a code of ethics. Objectivity rules. That's not the case with citizen journalists. Anything goes in that world.'"

    Many bloggers consider themselves journalists. 2004, considered the year of the blog, marks the beginning of people's increased interest in blogs (shortened from the original term - weblog) according to Patrica L. Dooley's book, "The Technology of Journalism." They report on the news they witness and find important. Most use personal experience to share their knowledge. For an event like 9/11, bloggers, especially in New York City, used their sites to let their loved ones know they were OK and to share their experiences with the rest of the nation.

     But just because they experienced the news and tell others, does that qualify them as journalists?

    Faye Anderson, a citizen blogger has claimed that citizen journalists are doing what real journalists aren’t doing. They are telling the whole story and are not affected by the institution of journalism or driven by money.

     According to Mike Ward's book, Journalism Online, journalistic qualities cannot be taught, but core journalism can. Some have a nack for performing the act of journalism in the way of asking questions and getting information more easily than others and of course, some people are just better writers. But not all of those people are born with core journalism skills that Ward describes; identifying news, collecting and selecting the best material and presenting the material effectively. Some of these skills can be picked up, but a solid journalistic education is a sure way to gather the basic skills needed.

  Professional journalists typically have a degree in their field. In order to achieve a degree in journalism, most programs require classes on ethics, history and law in addition to basic journalism training in reporting and writing. Because of different news mediums colliding, many students of journalism also take classes like photography and broadcast journalism to better market themselves in the competitive field of journalism.

         Reporting the news through words is not the only form of citizen journalism or traditional journalism. With the ease of mobile cameras and video recorders, anyone can snap a photo and almost instantly send it to the web. Dan Gillmor, author of We the Media, says none of this is new. Citizens have been capturing tornados and other events that have been used in the media, usually television, for years.

      Gillmor says there are issues concerning privacy with citizen journalists capturing videos and photos at any time, any place. However, they also have the ability to keep public officials in check and could help keep government and even business more honest.

     The definition of a journalist has been questioned more due to the online movement. With anyone able to report who is protected under the rights of a journalist?

     The Free Flow of Information Act is a shield law meant to protect journalists and their sources. A law like this is meant to allow the transaction of information to take place to better inform society without the speaking parties having to publicly identify themselves. This Act passed the House this summer and is awaiting approval of the Senate. However, with the term "journalist" undefined especially in the changing media, who will be protected by the act has yet to be determined.

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

 

Vargas, Jose A. "Storming the News Gatekeepers; On the Internet, Citizen Journalists Raise Their Voices."  Washington Post, 27 November 2007: C01.

http://www.lexisnexis.com/us/lnacademic/results/docview/docview.do?docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T5036933187&format=GNBFI&sort=RELEVANCE&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_T5036933190&cisb=22_T5036933189&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi=8075&docNo=1

 (accessed October 27, 2008). 

This article examines citizen journalism from both the consumer's point of view and the professional journalist's. It gives a definition of citizen journalism and talks about how and why nonjournalists have taken up this new trade.

Newmarch, Jocelyn. "The Age of the Sceptic." Business Day (South Africa). 13 September 2008: 6.

http://www.lexisnexis.com/us/lnacademic/results/docview/docview.do?docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T5036945035&format=GNBFI&sort=RELEVANCE&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_T5036945049&cisb=22_T5036945048&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&selRCNodeID=118&nodeStateId=411en_US,1,79&docsInCategory=10&csi=163765&docNo=3

(accessed October 29, 2008).

 This article explores the differences between professional journalists and citizen journalists, viewing "the tension between the traditional and citizen media as a conflict between two separate economies." It discusses the way in which the public must adapt to the Internet age. The article also states the ways in which citizen and professional journalists work together, citing the amateur film footage of the Kennedy assassination. 

Gant, Scott. "How Big Should the 'Shield' Be?" Los Angeles Times. 28 July 2008: 15.

 http://www.lexisnexis.com/us/lnacademic/results/docview/docview.do?docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T5036952700&format=GNBFI&sort=RELEVANCE&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_T5036952706&cisb=22_T5036952705&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&selRCNodeID=159&nodeStateId=411en_US,1,85&docsInCategory=13&csi=306910&docNo=5

 (accessed November 1, 2008).

 This article discusses a possible law, Free Flow of Information Act, that would not allow the government to subpeona journalists for their sources. The Bush administation has been opposed to it, claiming it endangers national security. The law also questions the definition of who is a journalist due to the movement toward the Internet.

Dooley, Patricia L. The Technology of Journalism : Cultural Agents, Cultural Icons. New York: Northwestern UP, 2007. 

This book has a brief history of journalism. I shows the debat between citizen journalists and journalists. It discusses blogs and the future of journalism.

Ward, Mike, and Andy Dickinson. Journalism Online. New York: Focal P, 2000.

This book talks discusses what online journalism is and how it has affected journalism. It defines core journalism.

Gillmor, Dan. We the Media : Grassroots Journalism by the People, for the People. Danbury: O'Reilly Media, Incorporated, 2006.

This book gives a history of journalism. It discusses the uses of blogs and their part in the media. It also addresses "the read-write web," user generated and edited sites (ex. Wikis)

 

Comments (2)

Howie Good said

at 9:29 pm on Nov 23, 2008

Fix type. . . regularize spelling of names. . . integrate all the bits and pieces of info into a more seamless narrative

Howie Good said

at 11:30 pm on Dec 1, 2008

Work on layout, too.

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