As compare to traditional sources of communications modern tools like Internet and cell phones have made the information access much easier. People are more informative, and interactive in current era. In the modern means of communications sphere, controlled and embedded journalism which were the popular phenomenon in profession however; citizen participation in news process in has significant changed the role in contemporary journalistic practices. Therefore, public has the diverse opinion over and issues with all the multitudes as can be seen in recent Middle-East crisis. This participation not only gave an opportunity to news consumers to take an active part in ongoing happenings but also brought a vibrant change in the notion of traditional news organizations to cover an incident particularly in crisis situation.
The crisis in the Middle-East that led to the revolution in many nations including Egypt is attributed to citizen journalism i.e. social websites including facebook and twitter. The contemporary generation has equipped itself with the modern means of communication that helped them in assembling people despite the restrictions. At the same time, access to new media has been easy as compared to the traditional means of communication. The uprising situation in Middle-East that lead a way to ‘revolution’ for the nations suffering from dictatorial regimes since ages. New tools of media has played a vital role to inform and educate the masses. ‘New approaches in communication have reformed the information access for public. Youth interaction with modern gadgets and public forums like YouTube, face book, Google and twitter has completely reformed the attitude in dealing with rights and their interests’. (Roman, 2009)
“Traditional criticism of international news has dwelled on the weakness and blindspots of Anglo-American media with respect to other parts of the world. The hegemonic system of global “news flow” meant that the dominant western media covered the world from the perspective of the west and to the disadvantages of the rest, which were led to understand their own societies through the lens of the dominant powers. This unbalanced news flow model has been rendered less useful in a networked system of media and communication, which gives traditional global news organisation less gatekeeping authority.” (Allan, 2009:224)
The multi-means of communication are continuously developing and becoming easily accessible to the people. In other words the freedom of expression is becoming more and more visible day by day. There is an increase in emergence of public opinion through many activities that are of citizen journalistic in nature like taking photos, selecting and editing them and writing their captions. Also there may be forms of self-censorship among participants in citizen journalism. (Ananny & Strohecker, 2002)
Citizen journalism has changed the traditional news media to a greater extent. As traditionally, the journalists were the employee of a particular news organization, and were writing for a subscribing audienceship, the open-source journalists seek out citizens in their community to produce the news. In today’s notion, the citizen is holistic entity-the news gatherer, and a writer himself, rather than just the source like earlier times, for a particular news story. The journalist is a “shepherd” in whole phenomenon of journalism, helping out in reporting news, and at the same time making it is more dispensable to the user friendly format that is in compliance with the standards and code of conduct. (Glaser, 2004)
The concept of open-source efforts consistently to change the ‘gate-keeper’ concept that drives the journalism. In present times, editors decide what is and aren’t news based on their own, the open-source philosophy emphasises that every bit of news is having some importance to somebody, and let the public readership decide what it wants and what not. The approach is some what similar to the ‘wiki,’ an open-source platform like the one we are working on that helps define words, ideas, people, and places in a web-interface format that allows all to make their contribution. With this and with the combination of voices, the “truth” of a subject can emerge. In otherwords this is an digital version of “marketplace of ideas”. (Milton, 1986) and (Mill, 1985)
“In their multimedia study of UGC on media websites, Domingo(2008) found that news organisations in Europe and the United States are interpreting online user participation mainly as an opportunity for readers to debate current events, the core journalistic culture remains largely unchanged, as professionals retain the decision making power at each stage of the news production process”. (Allan, 2009:235)
Gatekeeping has been defined as “selecting, writing, editing, positioning, scheduling, repeating and otherwise massaging information to become news.” (Shoemaker et al., 2001:73).
“One of the most fundamental 'truths' in journalism, namely: the professional journalist is the one who determines what publics see, hear and read about the world” (Deuze, 2005: 451).
As the audience no longer needs to be passive observers online, readers increasingly can become co-creators with professionals in the news producing process. Of course, such participation on an online may exist more in potential than in practice, party as it is on two primary constraints: the extent to which users are willing to contribute, and with varying levels of richness across a continuum of participation and the extent to which news organizations are willing to “open the gates,” and with varying levels of editorial oversight across a scale of gatekeeping.(Deuze, 2003)
Besides there is a split between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ of above mentioned ‘citizen journalism,’ the new media use has most often been referred to using the term the ‘digital divide’. The expression of ‘digital divide’ aims to signify the gap between those who have access to and use digital world including digital technologies and tools, and those who do not in this contemporary world. The subject has captured much attention in the popular in academic circles.
According to the Social Science Citation Index and the Humanities Citation Index, over 150 articles have appeared in academic journals on the topic of the ‘digital divide’. Moreover, the proportion of all internet and web related articles that deal with the ‘digital divide’ has gone up one percentage point each year in the past five years, suggesting an increasing interest in and importance of this issue in media studies. (Hargittai. E, 2004)
References:
Ananny, M. & Strohecker, C. (2002). Sustained, Open Dialogue with Citizen Photojournalism. Paper read at Proceedings of Development by Design Conference, December 1-2, 2002, at Bangalore, India.
Allan, S. (2009). Citizen journalism: global perspectives. New York: Peter Lang publishing, Inc.
Deuze, M. (2003). The web and its journalisms: Considering the consequences of different types of newsmedia online. New Media and Society. 5 (2) p.451-457.
Shoemaker, P. J., Eichholz, M., Kim, E., and Wrigley, B. (2001). Individual and Routine Forces in Gatekeeping. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly. 78 (2) p. 33-146.
Roman, G. (2009). New Media, New Citizens: Youth Attitudes Towards Online Civic Engagement. [online]. Available at: http://journal.webscience.org/182/ [Accessed on: 26-04-2011]
Glaser, M. (2004). The New Voices: Hyperlocal citizen media sites want you (to write)!. In Online Journalism Review. University of Southern California. [online]. Available at: http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/041026glaser/index.cfm [Accessed on: 25-05-2011]
Hargittai, E. (2004). Internet access and use in context. New Media & Society. 6 (1) p. 137-143. [online]. Available at: http://0-web.ebscohost.com.brum.beds.ac.uk/ehost/detail?vid=5&hid=125&sid=f3afc223-4530-4c89-87a8-037f3eb47f38%40sessionmgr113&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=ufh&AN=12464111 [Accessed on: 24-05-2011]
Mill, J. S. (1985). Himmelfarb, G. (ed.) On Liberty. London: Penguin Books, Ltd.
Milton, J. (1986). Beer, S. H. (ed.) Areopagitica and Of Education. Wheeling, Illinois: Harlan Davidson, Inc. Original edition, New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1951.
In as much as the concept and practice of citizen journalism has obvious benefits like it being the digital version of a market place of ideas and other advantages which you rightly mentioned, I am of the opinion that the weaknesses as well as the strengths of this new form of journalism should be presented for a total understanding of citizen journalism.
This is in line with the fact that with the internet every perceived advantage comes at a cost which has to be paid.
The ongoing debate is between professional journalism vs. citizen journalism
The tenets of traditional journalism which include, a first obligation to the truth, accuracy in reporting, balance and fairness in the presentation of a news story, responsibility to the citizens, a striving for objectivity (even though it is acknowledged that objectivity per se is an utopia) is being sacrificed on the altar of immediacy, personal convictions, bias, imbalance and other negative issues associated with citizen journalism. Although there is a lot of advantages associated with citizen journalism, ‘everyboy needs a watchdog. It encourages higher standards’ (Fred, 2005).
In addition, I would suggest that in subsequent papers, you break your ideas into segments and these should have different headings or sub-headings as the case warrants. This would make for clarity and easier comprehension for your readers.
Reference
Fred, B. (2005) ‘Citizen’ journalism is not Professional Journalism’, Quill 93(6) pp42-42 EBSCOhost [Online] Available at: http://0-web.ebscohost.com.brum.beds.ac.uk/ehost/detail?vid=21&hid=122&sid=1e4c19af-86c2-4afd-91a9-76fdbecf165c%40sessionmgr113&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=ufh&AN=17783194 (Accessed: 26 May 2011)
Citizen Journalism has has quite an effect on the media. There was once a time where it was only the professional journalist who had all the major qualifications where worthy of telling the news as it is. Many of them do a fine job of reporting the news and sometimes put their lives on the line to do so. Without them we may not be up to date with world affairs. Nevertheless people who may have virtually no experience in any journalistic engagements may become the most important source of information for current world affairs.
As your article states, the problem is the gatekeepers who are in control of what may be released to the public and what is hidden from the public eye. Human gatekeepers are keeping information from the masses while only a select few are given the privilege and electronic gatekeepers developed by humans are doing the same thing on the Web. It is as if the gatekeepers feel as if we don't know what we want for ourselves and select what they believe to be the most associable. This is why citizen journalism may be a workaround of sorts around this stonewalling from those in power. Citizen journalists who have no professional journalism background are able to produce material that is able to influence people around the world. Citizen journalist are in the fray of chaotic events occurring in perhaps a place where they live and are uploading photos and videos that would never be seen on a news network. Also web services such as blogs, wikis and social networks have given citizens a platform for their material to be seen worldwide. Unless state powers decide to implement the use of gatekeeping on citizen journalism as well, the citizens may be one of the only ways for the full story of any situation to be discovered.
Although there are obvious benefits that “Citizen Journalism” affords for society especially in taking the pursuit of fundamental liberties like freedom of expression to new heights, the other side of the coin also needs to be considered. As argued in the article, citizen journalism may have primarily served as an alternative outlet for the expression of oppressed masses. However, since there is often little or no mechanism of accountability as is the case with traditional journalism; there is the danger that citizen journalism may swing too far as to infringe on the other equally fundamental liberties such as deal with individual privacy(Habermas 2007). In essence, one may argue that citizen journalism is just another product of the ever present tug-of-war between the “private sphere” and the “state sphere” as to what should be or should not be public; an extension of the “public sphere”. In this tug-of-war any form for gatekeeping must be cautiously measured lest it drowns out the very liberties that have been pursued over the years.
HABERMAS, J., 2007. How to Save the Quality Press? signandsight: signandsight. 21 May 2007, [viewed 4/13/2011]. Available from: http://www.signandsight.com/features/1349.html.
- Topic
The phenomenon of citizen journalism, especially after the recent events in the Middle East, without doubt is a very interesting subject of research. Nevertheless, the titles of the main text and the bibliography are different, which is a little bit confusing.
- Bibliography
The selection of resources is well motivated and attributes a lot to the quality of the text. The reviews are very informative and deep.
- Approach
The wiki describes in brief the last tendencies among the tools for citizen journalism. It gives valuable information for the most of the aspects of the topic. Moreover, the text is provided with relevant references.
- Conclusions
In spite of the good analysis of the topic, the author does not make any remarkable conclusions. But this is rather normal, because although the huge academic interest to the subject, actually no one can predict the directions of development of the new social media.
- Organization
The text has clear structure, although no subtitles are included. As a weakness, it can be said that links between the main text and the bibliography are not provided, which can impede the reader.
- Spelling and grammar
Only minor formal mistakes can be noticed, which makes the text easy for reading.
Technological advancement has brought vital revolution in every walk of life including the onlinejournalism. Before the inception of modern media, information access through multiple sources and communicative medium were limited. At the same time journalistic imperialism proved its muscles and information was the property of selected few. Without instant feedback from audiences; news organizations were following their agendas to portray any happening around the world. As the digital technology is touching the skies these days, at the same time it has influenced greatly on the nature of news and the news content, and also the methods. The traditional methods of journalism that include ‘gate-keeping’ and ‘agenda settings’ have been influenced.
When a new medium is introduced its meaning-its potential, its limitations, the publicly agreed upon sense of what it does, and for whom-has overtaken the new media. And part of the lure of a new medium for any community is surely this growing status. New media offers possibilities of positive as well as negative nature. In other words, emergent new media may be seen as instances of both risk and potential. Today, for example, the Internet offers unprecedented possibilities for global villages to coalesce (grow together), even while it threatens national or ethnic cultural traditions and provokes anguished discussions of privacy in a connected‘ age. The same sorts of issues and anxieties surrounded the emergence of new media. Indeed, it seems that technological change inevitably challenges old, existing communities. The particulars of each case, however, are valuable to our larger understanding of how media help to shape and reshape culture societies.‘ (Syed, 2005)
There is a major challenge to the authenticity of online news commenting using the user friendly interface. As people can use pseudonyms, and hence promote their own articles.
Reference:
Syed.H.M, (2005). Encyclopaedia of Modern Journalism and Mass Media. India: Anmol Publications.