Hello everyone, for my presentation today I will be discussing citizen journalism, which has become such an important part of our culture with the advancements of modern day technology and social media. It sounds fairly self-explanatory, but basically citizen journalism is just news captured and shared by those that are not paid professionals in journalism- just everyday folks like you and me.
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Nowadays, everybody has a cell phone in their hands pretty much at all times. Imagine that later today, I am sitting in the cafe enjoying the highly anticipated Friendsgiving meal when all of a sudden a fight breaks out because there’s no more mashed potatoes. Almost certainly, multiple phones would start recording and then it would go to barstoolHPU and we all know how that story ends. That is a prime example of citizen journalism.
Nowadays, everybody has a cell phone in their hands pretty much at all times. Imagine that later today, I am sitting in the cafe enjoying the highly anticipated Friendsgiving meal when all of a sudden a fight breaks out because there’s no more mashed potatoes. Almost certainly, multiple phones would start recording and then it would go to barstoolHPU and we all know how that story ends. That is a prime example of citizen journalism.
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Apart from that silly example, a real historical occurrence of citizen journalism took place on the day that Former President JFK was assassinated. Of course, technology was not as advanced as it is today, but Abraham Zapruder was able to capture, with an amateur film camera, key moments of this tragic incident that would later aid in the secret service investigation. Had it not been for his ability to record the events of that day, crucial information would have gone unseen, and parts of history would perhaps still be missing.
As I mentioned earlier, by definition citizen journalism is "journalism that is conducted by people who are not professional journalists, but who disseminate information using websites, blogs, and social media." I want to emphasize the element of social media and the reach that is possible for citizen journalism now with how accessible those platforms are to us today. You no longer have to turn on the TV and flip to the news channel, or read about an event in the paper the next day. Chances are when a newsworthy event occurs, and regular people are on the scene witnessing it, there is at least one smartphone recording and shortly after a video will be posted for all to view and share with their network(s). Citizen journalists are an even better source of journalism that professionalism because they aren't operating with a hidden agenda or thinking about a paycheck, they are simply acting as vessels of information.
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Of course, now that everyone has a recording device on them at all times, risks to privacy are at an all time high. No one wants to be recorded without their consent, but it happens all the time. We also have digital footprints to consider, as everything we post can be connected to our name and identity almost instantly and content can follow us. Additionally, it is easier than ever for misinformation to spread, for something to be clipped or taken out of its original context, and shared with meaning other than was originally intended.
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It's important as consumers of citizen journalism, and as potential citizen journalists, that we consider the risks associated with this type if information sharing, and keep in mind the responsibility it requires. With that said, as a society we are connected more than ever before, and that’s certainly better than being uninformed- thank you!
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