The five Ws + H of citizen journalism and how to get involved
What is citizen journalism?
It really is as simple as the name! Citizen
journalism is when the audience becomes
the journalist. It brings many different perspectives
into the news world and a deeper
connection between the audience and the
media. Not all public-designed media can be
called citizen journalism, however.
Journalism is primarily about the process of
investigation and discovery of information
and secondarily presentation of that information.
This creates debate about whether
opinion pieces actually count as citizen journalism
or not. Citizen journalism can come
in numerous forms including written and
video blogs, traditional writing, photographs
and videos of events.
Who are citizen journalists?
Citizen journalists are everywhere. They are people who aren't satisfied with the selective information provided by the mainstream media and want to get out there to find and present the news themselves. Anybody can be a citizen journalist with a little bit of knowledge and an appetite for sharing experiences with others through writing.
When did citizen journalism emerge and when did it become popular?
The origins of "citizen journalism" or "civic journalism" can be traced back as early as the '80s, however it wasn't widely accepted until the beginning of the 'digital age.' Public access to the innovation of powerful, inexpensive tools of media creation and digital access to those creations catalyzed citizen journalism as we know it today. Long gone are the days when people needed to learn complex computer languages to create a rudimentary (by today's standards) website. Now anybody with minimal computer literacy and an email address can create a free website to publish photos, videos, blogs, animations or text. For the most part, people today are only limited by what they can envision when it comes to the online world.
Why is citizen journalism important?
Typically, news stories are filtered with a specific agenda or motive in mind. Citizen journalism sources, especially those based online, provide opportunity for multiple voices and points of view to be heard worldwide. This gives people access to a variety of views and ultimately gives them a more well rounded assessments of the issue at hand than traditional outlets may have.
Where/how can you share your voice?
I spent an afternoon exploring the London Free Press website (lfpress.com) and learned a lot more than just about recent events. I learned quite a bit about the publication itself, especially in regards to public opinion and news. There is a section of the website devoted to the public voice. The comment section gives easy access to archives of the letters to the editor as well as the reader to reader section. There is also a comment feature in the website that allows readers to comment on most articles, but unfortunately the audience isn't given the opportunity to interact with every article. There is also a news research panel that citizens can sign up for, which allows them to give their opinions on what content is most important to be covered in the paper.
If you're looking to reach a larger audience, the MSNBC.com news website not only allows audience involvement but strongly encourages it. Readers are sometimes given specific assignments as well as encouragement to send in photos, videos and stories of events they witness.
There are countless opportunities out there for citizen journalism; we just have to look for them.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
Who are citizen journalists?
Citizen journalists are everywhere. They are people who aren't satisfied with the selective information provided by the mainstream media and want to get out there to find and present the news themselves. Anybody can be a citizen journalist with a little bit of knowledge and an appetite for sharing experiences with others through writing.
When did citizen journalism emerge and when did it become popular?
The origins of "citizen journalism" or "civic journalism" can be traced back as early as the '80s, however it wasn't widely accepted until the beginning of the 'digital age.' Public access to the innovation of powerful, inexpensive tools of media creation and digital access to those creations catalyzed citizen journalism as we know it today. Long gone are the days when people needed to learn complex computer languages to create a rudimentary (by today's standards) website. Now anybody with minimal computer literacy and an email address can create a free website to publish photos, videos, blogs, animations or text. For the most part, people today are only limited by what they can envision when it comes to the online world.
Why is citizen journalism important?
Typically, news stories are filtered with a specific agenda or motive in mind. Citizen journalism sources, especially those based online, provide opportunity for multiple voices and points of view to be heard worldwide. This gives people access to a variety of views and ultimately gives them a more well rounded assessments of the issue at hand than traditional outlets may have.
Where/how can you share your voice?
I spent an afternoon exploring the London Free Press website (lfpress.com) and learned a lot more than just about recent events. I learned quite a bit about the publication itself, especially in regards to public opinion and news. There is a section of the website devoted to the public voice. The comment section gives easy access to archives of the letters to the editor as well as the reader to reader section. There is also a comment feature in the website that allows readers to comment on most articles, but unfortunately the audience isn't given the opportunity to interact with every article. There is also a news research panel that citizens can sign up for, which allows them to give their opinions on what content is most important to be covered in the paper.
If you're looking to reach a larger audience, the MSNBC.com news website not only allows audience involvement but strongly encourages it. Readers are sometimes given specific assignments as well as encouragement to send in photos, videos and stories of events they witness.
There are countless opportunities out there for citizen journalism; we just have to look for them.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
