Our society is constantly changing. Recently especially the rise and spread of new technologies such as the internet has left their mark on today’s world: people have easy access to an abundance of data and the possibility to share their own information with almost the entire world with nothing but a small gadget which conveniently fits into their jeans pocket.
Be it as an answer to shortcomings in the professional journalistic field, be it due to the simple human urge to participate in and shape the world around him: Utilizing the possibilities of our increasingly connected community, in the last years citizen journalism has emerged as an alternative, and by now already somewhat important form to accumulate and report on news.
But while some scholars such as Bauman affirm that our increasingly complex and liquid modern society naturally makes a rethinking of the journalistic profession necessary, independent amateur journalists operating outside the mainstream media institutions nevertheless still encounter massive distrust and antipathy – especially out of the lines of their professional colleagues.
I believe, falling in line with an increasing number of renowned news institutions which are willing to give a liaison with citizen journalists a chance, that citizen journalism can actually be a great enrichment to our media landscape. Rather than seeing it as an assault on their class, professional journalists should embrace the opportunities of collaborative projects and the new diversity of news it implies.
By acknowledging an increased involvement of citizen journalists, our media landscape could give a greater number of people the platform to tell their stories and to shine a light on issues which might otherwise be left unseen – upholding democratic values and fostering their spread throughout a world which is not only as complex but also as interconnected as never before.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- The Chaff Among the Wheat – Distrusting Citizen Journalism
- An Enrichment of the Media Landscape – Pleading for Citizen Journalism
- Concluding Words
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This essay explores the role and potential of citizen journalism in today's rapidly evolving media landscape. It delves into the criticisms faced by citizen journalists, addressing concerns regarding their trustworthiness, objectivity, and perceived lack of skills.
- The challenges and skepticism surrounding citizen journalism
- The potential benefits of citizen journalism for enriching the media landscape
- The impact of citizen journalism on democratic values and fostering their spread
- The relationship between professional and citizen journalism
- The role of citizen journalism in global events such as the Arab Spring
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- The Chaff Among the Wheat – Distrusting Citizen Journalism: This section examines the widespread skepticism surrounding citizen journalism, focusing on concerns about its trustworthiness, objectivity, and the perceived lack of skills among non-professional authors. It explores examples like the false Steve Jobs heart attack story that highlight potential pitfalls of citizen journalism and discusses the broader concerns of "sense-making" in a data-saturated world. The chapter also addresses the argument that professional journalists possess unique skills and knowledge that differentiate them from citizen journalists, considering the validity of this claim in the context of evolving journalistic practices and readily accessible resources.
- An Enrichment of the Media Landscape – Pleading for Citizen Journalism: This section argues for the value of citizen journalism as a potential enrichment to the media landscape. It counterpoints the criticisms raised in the previous chapter, highlighting the benefits of increased citizen involvement in reporting, particularly in promoting diversity of voices and shedding light on issues that might otherwise go unnoticed. It also emphasizes the potential of citizen journalists to challenge censorship and promote democratic values, drawing on examples like the Arab Spring where citizen journalism played a significant role.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Citizen journalism, media landscape, trustworthiness, objectivity, skills, professional journalism, democratic values, Arab Spring, censorship, accountability, freedom of the press, information age, sense-making, data overload.
- Quote paper
- Pauline Kuss (Author), 2015, Adopting our Media Landscape to the World of Today. Acknowledging the Potential of Citizen Journalism, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/301254
