(I have restructured the question in order for it to benefit me individually in relation to my course and major of journalism)
The rise of citizen journalism is wholly a product of technological advancement. As digital and mobile technologies continue to become everyday necessities in both the Western and Eastern worlds, society have the ability to freedom of speech and opinion on a scale that rivals that of mainstream media. Participatory journalism challenges conventional media, as the audience reclaims control of information.
Over the past 10 years, it can be noticed that societal adoption of citizen journalism has expanded in reaction to significant, global events, such as that of 9/11 in 2001, the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004, and the London bombing of 2005. These events inspired those who were involved and affected to tell their story. Citizen participation in the acquiring, conveying and sharing of information is mostly considered a notion of positivity, one that in a relationship with professional journalism will offer society a democratic alliance only dreamed of. However, citizen journalism presents the ethical issue of integrity and the inability to control false information otherwise governed my media outlets.
Advancements in digital and mobile technologies of the 21st century have enabled global communication issued by the former consumer and audience of a world once informed predominately by mainstream media. Advances such as the Internet, mobile communication, digital media and social software have impelled interactive global communication (Castell, 2007 in Allan, 2007). Manuel Castell (2007) believes society is creating a new medium, one that is “self generated in content, self-directed in emission, and self-selected in reception”. Electronic mobile communication infrastructure is enabling mass self-communication without the need of a mainstream media outlet (Outing, 2005 in Robinson & Robinson, 2007).
Citizen journalism first made it into our lives during the terrorist attacks of 9/11 in 2001 as New Yorkers and tourists took to the streets with digital cameras in hand. However, it is the Indonesian Earthquake and Tsunami of Boxing Day 2004, which emphasised the adoption of participatory journalism. The proverbial man in the street gathered news and footage via portable electronic equipment (Srinivas 2005 in Robinson & Robinson, 2007). Adding to the limited access of effected areas for news crew and professional journalists, the Boxing Day tragedy occurred during the western worlds slow news week of skeleton crews over the New Year period, creating a greater reliance on citizen journalism (Outing, 2005 in Robinson & Robinson, 2007). News coverage was becoming a partnership, collaboration, less like a lecture and more of a conversation (Gillmor, 2006).
The London Bombings of 2005 intensified mainstream medias encouragement of citizen journalism. After only 6 hours, The BBC was overloaded with citizen content, and cast a video edited entirely from that imagery for the evening news (Sambrook, 2010). Richard Sambrook (2010) states, “We witnessed a fundamental realignment of the relationship between broadcaster and the public” or as Haddow and Haddow (2009) suggest, ”the online environment changed the media mix, from government to media to public [it] reversed course”.
Participatory journalism grows in the Eastern world as well. South Korea encouraged citizen journalism as an everyday news source with the creation of OhMyNews.com in 2000 (Young, 2009, p. 143). Ohmynews.com challenged the hegemony of mainstream press and has “converted the passive freedom of the right to know to the active freedom of the right to express”(Young, 2009, pp.143-47). Citizen journalism in the Eastern World offers a sense of recognition and change. For the majority of the Indian, Palestine and Arab community, blogger, Jessica Deere, explains that the role of the citizen journalist is different to that of the traditional as they are often the “instigators of change” in regards to recognition and inequality (Cited in Sonwalkar, 2009, pp. 75-91). Different societies are increasingly becoming connected via digital networks.
It seems, that providing one has an Internet connection and a story to tell, someone will listen. Tim Poster, blogger of First Draft, states, “in a world of digital and reflexive communication, we are all reporters” (cited in Haddow & Haddow, 2009, p. 37). However it is the integrity and truth within citizen-generated content that provides reason for concern. David Berry, author of Journalism, Ethics and Society, questions the citizen journalism rationale, “if just anybody can be a journalist does it not deprive it of its elements that constitute it as a social practice, such as objectivity, truth, and ethical responsibilities” (2008, p. 42). Citizen journalism is based on both self-interest and vanity, whereas professional journalists have the “rationality that is fundamentally based on critical self-reflection” and are educated as to their function and responsibilities to society (Berry, 2008, p.42). Dan Gillmor (2006), believes that professional journalism can cooperate with citizen journalists, thus creating an “ecosystem of both”, in which Gillmor calls, ‘News Activism’. The journalist, regardless of his professional position, should abide by the principles of journalism, accuracy, ethics, public trust and thoroughness (Gillmor, 2006).
There is unfortunately, no official code that administers the blogosphere. In addition to this, websites that invite comments and participatory journalism have little ability to control or edit the information that is placed onto their site. Steve Safran, the director of digital media at NECN, believes journalism requires a support structure, and is about “editing, questioning and challenging assumptions”. Companies that tend to lack the desire to oversee citizen content are protected by the Telecommunication Act of 1996, which states that no ISP can monitor all communication that passes through their site and thus can’t be held liable for incorrect or offensive content (Safran, 2005). Safran (2005) adds, that if a news desk can’t monitor or edit their material, their message ought to be, “we can’t decide what news is anymore- why don’t you do it?” A News editor at The Times Online, Mark Sellman, recalls during the London Bombings of 2005, many false civilian tales. One such story involved the shooting of a suicide bomber at Canary Wharf, which after investigation was in fact false. Sellman states, “To create an open stream that’s not edited is not to offer readers what were here for” (Cited in Allan, 2007, p3). On CNN’s dedicated citizen journalist website, iReport, it was circulated that Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, died of a heart attack. Before Apple could release a statement for the stories fictional status, Apple share price dropped 9% (Argenti & Barnes, 2009 p. 163).
We are indeed in a unique time in history. Journalists are finding their domination as gatekeeper is threatened not only by new technology and competition, but also by their audience (Haddow & Haddow, 2009, p.37). Citizen journalism, despite its questioning ethical and factual qualities, seems to require a relationship with traditional journalism, involving the standard scrutiny and editing process in order for the ‘conversation’ between audience and mainstream media to flow. Without this process and relationship between mass media and citizen, we could very well be destroying the integrity of Journalism.
WORDS 1054
Reference List
Robinson, D. Robinson, W. 2007, ‘Tsunami Mobilizations: Considering the Role of Mobile and Digital Communication Devices, Citizen Journalism, and the Mass Media,’ The Cell Phone Reader: Essays in Social Transformation, ed. Kavoori, A. Arceneaux, N. Peter Lang Publishing, New York Pp. 85-88
Sambrook, R. 2005 ‘Citizen Journalism and the BBC’, Nieman Reports: Citizen Journalism’ Winter 2005, Harvard College
Safran, S. 2005 ‘How Participartory Journalism Works’ Nieman Reports: Citizen Journalism’ Winter 2005, Harvard College
Young, C.W 2009 ‘Ohmynews: Citizen Journalism in South Korea’ Citizen Journalism: Global Perspectives, ed. Allan, S. Thorsen, E.
Peter Land Publishing, New York pp.143-47
Sonwalkar, P 2009 ‘Citizen Journalism in India: The Politics of Recognition’ Citizen Journalism: Global Perspectives, ed. Allan, S. Thorsen, E. Peter Land Publishing, New York pp. 75-91
Gillmor, D 2006 We The Media, O’Reilly Media, California p. xviii
Berry, D 2008 Journalism, Ethics and Society, Ashgate Publishing Limited, England pp.42-43
Rich, C 2010, Writing and reporting News: A Coaching Method, Wadsworth Cengage Learning, Boston MA pp.26-28
