Time Waster to Times Writer?

With the ever expanding torrent of new technologies, ‘citizen journalism’ is in it’s element. Advances in Web 2.0, as well as the rapid expansion of social networking, has provided an international, web based platform on which novice ‘citizen journalists’ can freely write. But what advantages, if any, does this hold for mainstream media?

In 2005, the tagline that seemed to follow ‘citizen journalism’ was “Would you trust a citizen brain surgeon?” and many still see the significance of this debate. What’s being questioned here is the skill of the writer, as well as the validity of their information. Would you trust a ‘citizen journalist’? Where have their facts come from? Why should you listen to them? What doesn’t assist the rise of this new, freeform media movement, is the negative attitude often associated with blog and web culture – a view often accommodated by traditional newspaper readers. But is it then right for us to dismiss what these innovators have to say?

Whilst a vast amount of ‘citizen journalists’ are aware of, and actively expanding, their journalistic roles within the blogosphere; the majority are oblivious to their participation in spreading news. One of the largest sources of up to date news on the web, is Twitter. By almost subconsciously ‘tweeting’ about events everywhere, Twitter can be seen as one of the largest providers of global news – nearly all by ‘citizen journalists’. A great example of Twitter use is from 2009, where Twitter became the main source of information on the Iranian election protests, after British, and most foreign journalists, were ‘barred’ from reporting.

‘Citizen journalism’ comes in many forms, from online blogs, status updates and ‘tweets’, to self edited publications, both online and offline. So, what does this mean for mainstream media? Although it appears that ‘citizen journalism’ may draw away from conventional journalism, there is still value to be found; especially with its connectivity with the public, as well as it’s fast, factual nature.

Considering this, it would seem that ‘citizen journalism’ isn’t just a meagre imitation, but an effective asset to mainstream media.