So this is about the third time this semester I've heard, read and talked about citizen journalism. As much as I embrace the idea, part of me blocks it out. I suppose I'm used to the conventional way of journalism, as compared to these new ways.
I feel as though it's becoming as though we are trying to say that every person is a journalist of sorts, I guess that makes sense if you think about it in terms of writting about events in your local area or eye witness accounts. BUT and here's my big problem with this whole citizen journalism idea, whats the point of people studying and becoming journalists, if every person can simply be one. I suppose I'm kind of negative towards it because my brother studied journalism, and had trouble finding work, because it seems nobody wants to actually employ you, they'd rather have freelance work, it's cheaper. So basically he studied something, only for him to end up doing something completely different because of the "new" ways.
I suppose I'm over dramatizing this whole issue a bit, but still the jist of it is the same.
If I think of say egypt and the whole twitter incidents, I remember seeing my friends from egypt post on facebook, mostly about asking their fellow countrymen to calm down and stop the violence, rather than them reporting on what was going on per say.
Touchy subject I think, I suppose some people embrace citizen journalism and some just don't care. I think I'm in between, I care but I don't exactly think it's the greatest thing in the world or the absolute future. Yay or nay, neither for me to be honest :/
6 comments:
I think your reasoning of maybe not liking it because your brother is a journalist is interesting. I would hate to go through all those years of schooling to then find out that my job was no longer relevant to what i thought i was doing. I can definitely see where you are coming from here. Though i do think it is a good thing. The more people reporting the more news i think gets out.
Journalism is so symbolic of the Watchdog operating through the Fourth Estate within traditional notions of State-centric politics. I wonder if the Fourth Estate even exists today? That places Journalists in a difficult position as you say, leaving only freelance work. I'd always thought that as a journalist you would have a choice between working within mainstream media or working independently, I never really envisaged a shortage of mainstream work. It seems that networking devices like Citizen Journalism really do propose a challenge to traditional forms of political/democratic structure. Perhaps a shift from public and government sectors to private sector perhaps?
It's funny because you'd think journalists always find work. But speaking from my brothers experience, they don't hire people unless they've been at a recognized paper, and even then your lucky if they hire. I suppose it comes down to the issues of money and it being cheaper long term to pay people per story rather than a fixed salary.
Your right, more people reporting is more news, but then there's the question quality over quantity? Would more people reporting mean the news is more relevant and constant or would less more qualitfied reporters mean less but at the same time fact based with valid sources? I guess i'm 50/50 on it to be honest.
I do think that Citizen journalism is posing a threat to mainstream journalism, whoever i do not think that it will completely get rid of it.Something that was brought up in the tutorial, was with in citizen journalism, if people can write pretty much what ever they want, then who are the gate keepers? I think for this reason there is still more credibility in mainstream journalism, even when they only chose to report about certain things.
I look at citizen journalism as a kind of raw reporting.
It is different to the reporting we see on the news every night.
I feel that citizen journalism is advocating a personal belief rather than an enforced agenda that is instilled from a higher power (eg. CEO of Media Company).
It is up to the individual to determine what is quality news.
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