It seems almost impossible to define the role of the citizen in journalism in the 21st century. With the mix of things like technology, social media and so-called citizen journalism, the role of the citizen in the public conversation has no limitations.
With the rise of technology in recent times we have seen citizens using such technology like mobile phones to record footage of some of the most important moments in history. Here are just some of those moments.
So is this citizen journalism? Just because someone was in the right place at the right time and they record video footage of a historical event and post it on YouTube, does that automatically make them a ‘citizen journalist’?
Define journalist?
“A journalist collects and disseminates information about current events, people, trends, and issues. His or her work is acknowledged as journalism. Journalism is the profession of reporting or photographing or editing news stories for one of the media” (Princeton University, 2011).
The traditional news media’s position as the primary provider of information is being challenged because the ease of publishing content online has increased the number of people producing content. Controversy exists because it is assumed that some citizen journalists produce content without traditional journalistic values in mind (Rosenberry & Burton, 2010 p.68). This begs the question of credibility? And also accountability? How credible are citizen journalists? Are they accountable in regards to ethical practices? And are online citizen journalists producing “quality” news?
If ‘citizen journalists’ are not utilising journalistic practice, then is it wrong to label them as journalists, when really they are simply just citizen’s getting involved in the public conversation?
This is all a result of the power of technology as Gillmor (2008) states “The Internet is the most important medium since the printing press. It subsumes all that has come before and is, in the most fundamental way, transformative. When anyone can be a writer, in the largest sense and for a global audience, many of us will be” (Gillmor, 2008 p.236).
Oh Yeon Ho creator of OhMyNews states that “Every citizen’s a reporter, Journalists aren’t some exotic species, they’re everyone who seeks to take new developments, put them into writing, and share them with others (Gillmor, 2008 p.110).”
So what is happening here?
In an emerging era of multidirectional, digital communications, the audience can be an integral part of the process—and it’s becoming clear that they must be. Gillmor (2008) explains that “it boils down to something simple: readers or viewers or listeners collectively know more than media professionals do. This is true by definition: they are many viewers or listeners, and we as journalists are often just one. We need to recognize and, in the best sense of the word, use their knowledge. If we don’t, our former audience will bolt when they realize they don’t have to settle for half-baked coverage; they can come into the kitchen themselves” (Gillmor, 2008 p.111).
It seems only obvious that more and more, journalism is going to be owned by the audience.
Is the role of the citizen in the public conversation in the 21st century become a role in which the citizen is to inform others? Or even a role in which citizens can use their technological power and combined knowledge to help journalists produce better, if not the best possible content.
How important is the use of citizen journalism to the public conversation?
Gillmor (2008) highlights the importance of citizen journalism by explaining that On December 10, 2003, thousands of Iraqis marched on the streets of Baghdad to protest bombings by insurgents. The New York Times and other major media outlets missed the march and its significance. But some local bloggers did not (Gillmor, 2008 p.136). It turned out that blogs became the best way to get the news about an important event. This example would highlight that at certain times
“Is citizen journalism – blogging, open-source newsgathering, wikis and informational “mash-ups” transforming the nature of news? Many observers believe so. Carr (2007) refers to open-source journalism as nothing short of a “revolution” in newsgathering. Lemann (2006) wonders if citizen journalists aren’t in the process of “stripping away” the possibility of professional journalism entirely. Bowman and Willis summarize the prevailing wisdom: the “profession of journalism finds itself at a rare moment in history when, for the first time, its hegemony as a gatekeeper of news is threatened by not just new technologies and competitors but, potentially, the audience it serves”” (Rosenberry & Burton, 2010 p.32).
How does this affect the public conversation in the 21st century? What impact is it having on the future of journalism? And can we actually define the role of the citizen in journalism and the public conversation in the 21st century? I’m going to go with no!
References:
Audiencereports. (2011, June 13). A Short History of Citizen Journalism: [Video file]. Video Posted to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_FsY6ksDzk
Fenton, N. (2009). New Media, Old News: Journalism and Democracy in the Digital Age. London :Sage.
Gillmor, D. (2008). We The Media. Retrieved from http://0-www.newcastle.eblib.com.library.newcastle.edu.au/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=443318
Princeton University. (2011). WordNet. Retrieved from http://wordnet.princeton.edu/
Rosenberry, J. & Burton, J. (2010). Public Journalism 2.0. New York: Routledge.
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