Journalism as a Public conversation in the 21st century; what is the role of the citizen?

The boundaries of what is journalism are constantly being redefined. This can be seen particularly in relation to the rise of citizen journalism. Citizen journalism is all about the general public creating their own news content. This has largely been spurred by the public feeling detached from what is being reported and concerns that the mainstream media are framing the news. There also seems to be an understating amongst citizen journalists and those who support it that you don’t have to have a degree to have something to say. Those who presented in class this week showed a video which was particularly effective in explaining citizen journalism  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QU5LonkXbCE


Stephen Quinn in Online Newsgathering: Research and Reporting for Journalism outlines two types of citizen journalism. The first being where ‘members of the public who are not professional journalists contribute content that is published on traditional media’. The Second being where citizens act as reporters through mediums such as blogs and podcasts.

The idea of citizen journalism has generated a lot of controversy. While personal news blogs can be an interesting alternative news source there are a number of issues that arise. Firstly the issue of trust – it takes a lot of time to build up a strong relationship with your audience. It is much more difficult to prove the authenticity of anonymous bloggers as opposed to news from a major outlet. There is also no regulation to assure that the information is accurate. Good quality Journalism needs to consist of reliable, verified and balanced information.


I realise that while people crave to browse alternative sources to see the news from another perspective at the end of the day I believe they want to be told what is and isn’t news - to sit down in from of the 6pm news or read a newspaper with their coffee. As mentioned in Online Newsgathering: Research and Reporting for Journalism the traditional gatekeepers of news have important skills such as news sense and an understanding of the audience. They also argue that ‘most people lack the time, discipline and skill to sustain blogs and podcasts beyond an initial period of enthusiasm.’


I think that as journalists we must remember that news is a two way street and that it’s important listen to the public. As pointed out in the presentations and readings this week, citizen journalists play and important role in times of crisis such as the Indian Ocean Tsunami or the London bombings. Dan Gillmor points out in We the media: grassroots journalism by the people, for the people that in relation to the reporting on the 2004 Tsunami ‘the mass media did powerful work covering the catastrophe , but blog postings and tourist videos of the waves washing ashore also become part of the journalism that will survive in humanity’s collective memory’. People’s imagines recorded off video cameras and phones along with their personal recounts of what happened are an extremely valuable addition to the news. Those who were there at the time of major crises often have the images that the journalists were unable to capture. There are of course dangers with citizen journalism. We only have to think back to the chk-chk boom girl in Melbourne. Journalists still have an important job of making sure the news comes from credible sources


There are definitely many positives in relation to the audience becoming more active within the media environment. For years I have watched Insight on SBS – where a forum discusses current issues in society with, the host, well respected Journalist Jenny Brockie. The format of the program has changed this year to accommodate the more active role citizens play in our media environment. Insight now has a Facbeook page http://www.facebook.com/InsightSBS?ref=ts#!/InsightSBS?ref=ts&v=wall  and a twitter  http://twitter.com/insightsbs and during the show people comment on these sites with their personal opinion about the live discussion in the studio. Throughout show they cross live to one of their producers who summarises what is being said by citizens online. This is a great way to engage the public and make them feel like they play a more active role during the discussion.


I have also noticed similar changes in ABC’s Q&A show which is also a forum style program where current affairs are discussed among a studio audience and a panel of prominent journalists, politicians and other significant people. Twitter posts pop up on the screen throughout the program and Skype questions are often sent in. This, I believe, is a great way to allow the general public to participate the in discussion of current affairs while still leaving the journalists with an important role to play. We have the trained journalists and producers creating a credible, intelligent and well run programs yet the public do not have to remain passive. One person on twitter even commented that last weeks Q&A show was like a ‘good old fashioned family dinner table discussion’. As a journalism student I find it rather inspiring to see this new form of ‘public conversation ‘entering the journalism realm. Citizens don’t have to be passive observers in the lounge room, which is great, as many of them have important perspectives and ideas. Citizens playing a role such as this makes me excited about the future of journalism.