CITIZEN JOURNALISM

DEFINITIONS

The collection, dissemination, and analysis of news and information by the general public, especially by means of the Internet. Alternative and activist form of news gathering and reporting that functions outside mainstream media often as a response to shortcomings in the professional journalistic field that uses similar journalistic practices but is driven by different objectives and ideals and relies on alternative sources of legitimacy then tradition of mainstream journalism. 

Citizen journalism refers to the reporting of news events by members of the public using the Internet to spread the information. 

Citizen journalism can be a simple reporting of facts and news that is largely ignored by large media companies. It is easily spread through personal websites, blogs, micro blogs, social media and so on. Some types of citizen journalism also act as a check on the reporting of larger news outlets by providing alternative analysis.

DIFFERENT NAMES OF CITIZEN JOURNALISM

Citizen journalism is referred to by many other names, including:

Personal publishing

Grassroots media

Networked journalism

Open source journalism

Citizen media

Participatory journalism

Hyper local journalism

Distributed journalism

Stand-alone journalism

Bottom-up journalism

Non media journalism

Guerrilla journalism

Public Journalism

Participatory Journalism

Democratic Journalism

Street Journalism

Collaborative Citizen Journalism (CCJ)

EMERGENCE OF CITIZEN JOURNALISM:

The idea that every citizen can engage in acts of journalism has a long history in the United States. The contemporary citizen journalist movement emerged after journalists began to question the predictability of their coverage of events such as the 1988 U.S. presidential election. Those journalists became part of the public, or civic, journalism movement, which sought to counter the erosion trust in the news media and the widespread disillusionment with politics and civic affairs.

Initially, discussions of public journalism focused on promoting journalism that was "for the people" by changing the way professional reporters did their work. According to Leonard Witt, however, early public journalism efforts were "often part of 'special projects' that were expensive, time-consuming, and episodic. With today’s technology the citizen journalist movement has found new life as the average person can capture news and distribute it globally.

IDEA BEHIND CITIZEN JOURNALISM:

The idea behind citizen journalism is that people without professional journalism training can use the tools of modern technology and the global distribution of the Internet to create, augment or fact-check media on their own or in collaboration with others. For example, you might write about a city council meeting on your blog or in an online forum. Or you could fact-check a newspaper article from the mainstream media and point out factual errors or bias on your blog. Or you might snap a digital photo of a newsworthy event happening in your town and post it online. Or you might videotape a similar event and post it on a site such as YouTube. 

It is based upon public citizens "playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing, and disseminating news and information. Citizen journalism is a specific form of both citizen media and user generated content. 

EXAMPLES:

Salam Pax – Sadam’s Death (2002-2004)

Mahmood’s Den –Opposition of the government (April 2003)

African Eye – AIDS Awareness

By juxtaposing the term “citizen,” with its attendant qualities of civic mindedness and social responsibility, with that of “journalism,” which refers to a particular profession, New media technology, such as social networking and media-sharing websites, in addition to the increasing prevalence of cellular telephones, have made citizen journalism more accessible to people worldwide. Due to the availability of technology, citizens often can report breaking news more quickly than traditional media reporters. 

Citizen journalism, as a form of alternative media, presents a “radical challenge to the professionalized and institutionalized practices of the mainstream media. Overall, citizen media developed as public was not content with the mainstream media’s way of reporting news. 

WHAT QUALIFIES AS NEWS?

But for something that was once a revolutionary addition to news reporting, it’s now becoming the subject of reporting. More and more often we are seeing news bulletins dedicated to what people have said on Twitter.

And it turns out that not everyone appreciates this new era of news reporting, with many reporting themselves that it’s not news at all.

The problem is this: social media by its very nature is a vehicle for thoughts. Some of these thoughts are well-considered. Others are more transient. Many are – and forgive me for how this is going to come out – self-centred. Social media for most people is about themselves: their family, their issues, their lives.

The citizen posting on social media is doing so for different reasons than the aspiring Bob Woodwards of the world. That said, it’s not to say that those contributions can’t be extremely valid.

With the proliferation of mobile technology, publishers should rightly champion on-the-ground footage and source material. Passers-by with cell phones may well capture key and critical moments through the luck of being in the right place at the right time.

Used as part of a story or ongoing narrative, and subject to the same protocols as any other source material, these contributions can be hugely important, but – and this is key – as part of the same editorial processes as any other sources or information.

When Mubarak’s government was overthrown in Egypt in 2011, it was citizens wielding cell phones, who captured and transmitted much of that information. The press core had found it difficult to report on abuses, misdeeds and corruption and – because they were identifiable as journalists in a state with a hardline view of governmental criticism – believed themselves to be at risk. A panel of citizen journalists speaking at the Pulitzer Centre in Cairo later that year said that “rather than report the abuse directly, and put themselves at the risk of arrest or government intimidation, newspaper journalists would cite bloggers who posted the videos, thus absolving themselves of direct responsibility for the story.”

Talking about ‘alternative facts’ a couple of years back we noted that “without context, facts are like footnotes untethered from their narrative”, and the same holds true here.

The role of editor has never been so important as it is now. It would be foolish to ignore the wealth of information that private individuals offer, but this information should be treated and handled as any other source material would be. Context is the name of the game. At a time when newsrooms are under such immense pressure, the successful ones are those who are giving value to their readership. Richly sourced articles are one way to do this, and it’s the responsibility of our newsrooms to source, check and contextualise.

CHARACTERSTICS:

Citizen journalism involves private individuals, who are normally the consumers of journalism, generating their own news content. Citizens collect, report, analyze, and disseminate news and information, just as professional journalists would, creating what is known as user-generated content.

These amateur journalists produce news in many forms, ranging from a podcast editorial to a report about a city council meeting on a blog, and is usually digital in nature.

 It can also include text, pictures, audio, and video. Social media plays a major role in disseminating news and promoting citizen journalism content.

Since the general public has 24/7 access to technology, citizens are often the first on-scene for breaking news, getting these stories out more quickly than traditional media reporters.

 However, unlike professional journalists, citizen journalists may not have conducted the same background research and source verification, which can make these leads less reliable.

TYPES OF CITIZEN JOURNALISM:

Audience participation (such as user comments attached to news stories, personal blogs, photographs or video footage captured from personal mobile cameras, or local news written by residents of a community)

Independent news and information Websites (Consumer Reports, the Drudge Report)

Full-fledged participatory news sites (one:convo, NowPublic, OhmyNews, DigitalJournal.com, GroundReport, 'Fair Observer'

Collaborative and contributory media sites (Slashdot, Kuro5hin, Newsvine)

Other kinds of "thin media" (mailing lists, email newsletters)

Personal broadcasting sites (video broadcast sites such as KenRadio)

LAYERS OF CITIZEN JOURNALISM

1. The first step: Opening up to public comment

2. Second step: The citizen add-on reporter

3. Now we’re getting serious: Open-source reporting

4. The citizen bloghouse

5. Newsroom citizen ‘transparency’ blogs

6. The stand-alone citizen-journalism site: Edited version

7. The stand-alone citizen-journalism site: Unedited version

8. Add a print edition

9. The hybrid: Pro + citizen journalism

10. Integrating citizen and pro journalism under one roof

11. Wiki journalism: Where the readers are editors

IMPACT:

Media is now much more democratized than before as it is open to many people

A very fundamental change is that consumers are now producers

Also, now we have a read and write web which allows public to create their own write-ups on web

Journalism has traditionally been a lecture. Journalists tell you what the news is , you either buy it or you don’t. Now it’s moving into something like a “conversation”, whose first rule is to listen.

CITIZEN JOURNALISM IN INDIA:

India being the largest democracy in the world has the greatest challenge of running the democratic system by proficiently encouraging the freedom of speech and expression. Access to information is essential to the health of democracy that ensures citizens make responsible and informed choices rather than acting out of ignorance or misinformation. Media forms an integral part of democracy as it contributes to those factors that are intrinsic to genuine democracy. Media acts as a mirror in the society reflecting the various social, political and economic activities happening around the world, it also facilitates the process of empowerment of individual by providing an arena for public debate and by reconstituting private citizens as a public body in the form of public opinion.

Today in India, the main stream media is seen diverting from its objective and focusing more on profit making motive resulting in many social, important issues and stories relating to the masses are either neglected or rejected by the media which has led to a huge gap between issues reported and neglected.

 With an aim to bridge this gap a new concept and trend of participatory journalism has slowly but steadily emerged across the globe popularly known as participatory journalism or “Citizen Journalism”A form of journalism when any common man in his capacity as a citizen of a nation take up an initiative to express ideas irrespective of their educational or professional background, it is an act of citizens playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting,analyzing, and disseminating news and information. 

Empowerment with information is a crucial tenet of citizen journalism in India, a democracy with over one billion people thus the objective of this participation is to provide independent, reliable, accurate, wide-ranging, and relevant information that is vital for a democratic country like India. Citizen Journalism has slowly but steadily revolutionized the entire media in the country; it is influencing and making an impact in mainstream media henceforth become a powerful tool for every citizen to report the news that touches their lives.

The concept of citizen journalism became a powerful tool and a reality mainly due two reasons firstly the Right to Information Act 2005, proved to be a Source for information. Secondly the technology empowered every citizen to be informed and updated through social media, internet and mobile technology. Thus Citizen Journalism become a phenomena explored via new media and technology that facilitated the reach to a large number of audiences with or without the support of mainstream media. With the popularity of Citizen Journalism no longer in question, even the national media around the world are sourcing leads from stories and pictures filed by Citizen Journalists.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF CITIZEN JOURNALISM:

Advantages:

It provides the community with a different perspective, from one of their own who lives and breathes what happens there every single day.

Helps to get local citizens more engaged in the issues affecting their lives.

For activism.

It makes possible the coverage of events that the mainstream media might otherwise miss.

Disadvantages:

Citizen journalists have no formal training in reporting. There are several risks to consider, including factual inaccuracies and a lack of impartiality (to name a few!)

Citizen reporters don’t have any ethics training in how to handle certain situations that may arise.

How exactly do we define news? There’s a big discrepancy in this, as everyone has their own idea of what is considered important.

CRITICISMS:

Lacking objectivity

Quality of content

Legal repercussions

COLLABORATIONS VS INDIVIDUAL REPORTING

Citizens are able to contribute content, in one form or another, to existing professional news sites. This collaboration can be seen through readers posting their comments alongside stories written by professional reporters, like a 21st-century version of a letter to the editor. To prevent obscene or objectionable messages, many websites require readers to register in order to post.

Citizen Journalism also finds substantial grounds in terms of instantaneous live reporting. Any person with a mobile phone and access to the internet connection in any part of the country has the potential to be a Citizen Journalist. They have the benefit of instantly capturing scenes from nooks and corners of the world where even real-time reporters may not have the right access. An apt example is of the 24-year-old girl living in Iraq who blogged daily about the turmoil in her country. It allowed the world to see the events from a resident’s point of view. It showed them a facet that even the global media couldn’t adequately represent. Prominent news houses couldn’t have done what this girl did just by virtue of an internet connection and the advent of Citizen Journalism. Her blogs were later compiled into a book named “Baghdad Burning”.

Readers are also adding their information to articles written by professional journalists.  This collaboration allows both citizen and professional journalists to craft a story together. Reporters might even ask readers with expertise in particular areas to send them information on that topic or even do some of their own reporting. That information is then incorporated into the final story.

Some amateur journalists operate fully independent of traditional, professional news outlets. This can include blogs in which individuals can report on events in their communities or offer commentary on the issues of the day, YouTube channels where citizens give their own news reports and commentaries, and even unofficial print publications.

REVOLUTIONIZING NEWS

Citizen journalism was once hailed as a revolution that would make news-gathering a more democratic process — one that would no longer solely be the province of professional reporters. It has had a significant impact on today's news, with many believing that citizen journalism is a threat to professional and traditional journalism.

Social media has played a vital role in revolutionizing news. Many citizens are the first to report on breaking stories, with eye-witness videos, first-hand accounts, and real-time information, all using social media. Even news outlets will share breaking stories on social media before traditional means, but they have to still follow up with larger stories quickly or risk being outdated with their material in this fast-paced news environment.

Social media doesn't just play a role in disseminating citizen-generated news; it also stands as a source for professional journalists to identify the stories they need to cover. A 2016 study by Cision indicated that more than 50% of professional journalists used social media to find and build stories.

In Africa, where the online population lags behind Europe and the US, the enthusiastic adoption of mobile technology is reshaping the way discussion operates. There, in the past decade, people have been taking to their cell phones to comment and share their opinion on subjects that they feel are not – and in states where corruption levels are high – cannot be covered by the mainstream media. Cellular technology has enabled these discussions to find a starting point.

Despite its vast impact on our daily news, citizen journalism is not without its flaws. The biggest concern is the reliability of news, including fact-checking and the risk of incorrect information being disseminated.

The birth of citizen journalism is often attributed to South Korea where the first platform of amateur generated information, Oh My News, was created. The principle was simple; anyone can take part in the process of creating information - as the notion of participatory journalism (another term for citizen journalism) implies. From reader to participant, citizens have now changed their status as a mere recipients of information, to providers. It is not necessarily something new, however. When Abraham Zapruder took his amateur film-camera and decided to go and record John F. Kennedy’s rally in Dallas, he inadvertently captured images of his assassination, which could be considered a proto-form of citizen journalism - as what really defines it is its inexpert nature. Zapruder supplied his film to the Secret Service to assist in their investigation. Whilst it was not the only film of the event, it was the most complete.

The term ‘citizen journalists’ emerged in the aftermath of the December 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia. It referred to those in the disaster zone who took photos or video, or recounted their experiences first-hand.

“It’s a broad, expansive term,” says Stuart Allan of citizen journalism. Allan is the head of the School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies at Cardiff University in the UK. The term “includes someone who happens to be in the right place at the wrong time with their smartphone in their pocket and has the presence of mind to bear witness to something unfolding before them,” he adds.

PROFESSIONAL AND CITIZEN JOURNALISTS: TWO WAYS OF PROCEEDING 

Citizen journalists can violate journalism ethics codes. In the case of any terrorist attack; videos or photos circulating are often on social networks. If news organisations can benefit from it, it also raises a fundamental issue: those of the person’s privacy.

Some have to be removed from the web platforms, as its content can be shocking and can affect a person’s dignity. Journalists are, however, aware of what they are allowed to publish or not. It does not mean they always respect the deontology and ethics codes they did commit to respect.

‘A journalist does nothing to intrude into anybody’s private life, grief or distress unless justified by overriding consideration of the public interest.’ (6) A notion referenced in the National Union of Journalists code of conduct that since 1936, set out the main principles of UK and Irish Journalism.

Just need to wonder how far it is possible to go, even when it is a public interest. Journalists are supposed to have more knowledge on dealing with a difficult issue than a citizen.

According to Bolette Blaagaard, writer of ‘Shifting boundaries: Objectivity, citizen journalism and tomorrow’s journalists’, ‘a journalist is not just any victim of natural disasters, but someone who is able to expect to stand above the panic and fear and do a report’.

The aspect of objectivity, as well mentioned by her is fundamental. It is ‘a set of practices that provide an ethical evaluation and interpretation, grounded in the particular situation and specific to the news-medium for which the journalist works’. It however, does not mean that there is one truth, just that journalists are more able to tell a story than the citizens because they have more distance and knows better which words to use not to be too “cash”.

Current Affairs are definitely benefiting from this new journalism and video testimony from ordinary citizens as attests Kate Bulkley, media and tech journalist, in her article in The Guardian.

Indeed, the citizen participation offers a range of new sources to media organisations. Up to them to screen. “Social networks are opening up whole new vistas for documentary filmmakers. You can make the most amazing films using content from social networks” enthuses Chris Shaw, editorial ITN Productions Director.

News organizations often require the intervention of qualified persons — expect on psychology as an example — on a topic to improve the quality of the article or any other production. Indeed, the help of this type of citizen is crucial as he has knowledge on a topic that a journalist does not have.

The citizen journalist; an important tool for the professional one

Called “participatory” journalism or reporting, this new journalism happens when the reader is collaborating with the journalist. Media now call on to people to enrich their content as it is notably the case of France 24, the French television that also broadcast in English, Spanish, Arabic and Persian.

Launched in 2007, The Observers is France 24 platform that gives people the opportunity to become a real participant — in the an observer — in news spreading.

If France 24 already counts 430 journalists from 35 nationalities, The Observers helped the company building a 5 000 contributors network in a bit more than ten years.

THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT!

Apps have been developed in order to support this notion. The Guardian’s ‘Guardian Witness’ app purposely targets citizen journalists, asking them to supply staff journalists with videos, photos and stories of any event they deem newsworthy.

Rbutr.com is another app that helps journalists out with public opinion, using crowdsourcing to provide arguments and counter-arguments on a number of different subjects.

Important links: 

1. https://medium.com/@LeopoldineIL/the-impact-of-citizen-journalism-on-the-public-sphere-c1a5586cdac9

2. https://www.techopedia.com/definition/2386/citizen-journalism

3. https://www.brandwatch.com/blog/what-is-citizen-journalism-and-how-does-it-influence-news/

4. www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/p/photojournalism/power-people&ved=2ahUKEwizioOKlrrxAhVEwzgGHXhPDDMQFjAQegQIFBAC&usg=AOvVaw25SMl9c6matej5sZnAdybh

5. https://wan-ifra.org/2019/05/what-are-the-responsibilities-of-citizen-journalism/

6. https://www.euroscientist.com/citizen-journalism-phenomenon-stay/

7. https://www.sspconline.org/opinion-analysis/citizen-journalism-assessing-both-sides-fifth-estate-fri-10232020