Yesterday, I stumbled upon a news article about citizen journalism in Syria. The article by Al-Din (2013) describes how the people of Syria are turning to citizen journalism among other measures to topple the current Al-Assad regime. In an effort to hinder the reporting of impartial news from the ground, the regime imposed a media blackout throughout the country. This blackout paved the way for citizen journalism movement, as an alternative media catering to the needs of citizens living in dangerous area, by reporting what is actually happening on a daily basis.
Barnes (2012) defines citizen journalism as the act of a citizen or group of citizens involved in the process of collecting, reporting, analysing and disseminating news and other form of information. The objective of such an exercise is to provide independent, wide-ranging and relevant information crucial to democratic societies. Information and communication tools, such as mobile phones and the internet, are bringing about a level of access to information that is unprecedented. Blogs, forum and uploading of photographs and videos to the internet, are now being labelled as citizen journalism. Today, people without formal training in journalism have an equal opportunity to use the tools of modern technology and the limitless reach of the internet to create contents that would otherwise not be revealed. This kind of journalism goes far beyond the reach of professional journalism.
Barnes (2012) defines citizen journalism as the act of a citizen or group of citizens involved in the process of collecting, reporting, analysing and disseminating news and other form of information. The objective of such an exercise is to provide independent, wide-ranging and relevant information crucial to democratic societies. Information and communication tools, such as mobile phones and the internet, are bringing about a level of access to information that is unprecedented. Blogs, forum and uploading of photographs and videos to the internet, are now being labelled as citizen journalism. Today, people without formal training in journalism have an equal opportunity to use the tools of modern technology and the limitless reach of the internet to create contents that would otherwise not be revealed. This kind of journalism goes far beyond the reach of professional journalism.
The role of professional journalist as gatekeeper of news, is threatened for the first time by not just new technology and competitors, but by the audience it serves. Citizens everywhere are getting together through the use of internet to set the agenda for news. Most citizens do not want to be journalist but want to contribute in small and meaningful way. Citizens are interested in joining and contributing to subjects that traditional news media ignore or do not often cover (Bowman & Willis 2005, Pg. 7 to 8). As I recalled, the emergence of true citizen journalism in Singapore was most evident during the 2006 Singapore General Elections. Blogs such as Singapore Election Watch, Little Speck and Mr. Brown providing coverage of the Singapore election were popular and widely read by Singapore netizens primarily hungry for alternative views. Furthermore, many view main stream media to be pro-government and the lack of coverage on the opposition led many ordinary citizens towards the new media for more balanced and objective news.
However, the million dollar question remains. Can citizen journalism replace professional journalism? Bloggers generally do not produce their own news stories. They normally comment on news stories that are already published by professional journalist found on news website. If professional journalist stop writing, there would be nothing available for the blogger to comment on. Professional journalist adhere to a set of code of ethics. They need to be objective when reporting. Can a blogger do the same? Professional journalist of large media organisations follow their beats for many years. Whether it is a editor covering politics or a sports columnist covering the latest sporting events, these professional write with authority because they know the subject. Bloggers may be experts only on their chosen topics. They may not have the resources to write with the same kind of knowledge and expertise as a reporter. Trust is earned by performance, not wealth of activity or exclusivity. People read a certain newspaper or listen to a particular TV or radio news shows because they trust these sources of news and information. The new online citizen journalist, the blogger and those who run websites, win trust through word-of-mouth that their information, opinions and insights can be relied upon (Saltzman 2005). So my answer is a clear "no". The current climate do not permit citizen journalism to replace professional journalism.
Whether through the use of blog, forum or video uploads, citizen journalism is here to stay. While it is still unable to replace professional journalism, we can see the important role citizen journalism plays, especially on subjects that main stream media ignore or cannot report about. Nothing holds more truth than the saying, "The pen is mightier than the sword". With technology, citizen journalism is able to reach far greater heights. A mighty empire can be brought to its knees overnight.
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| Singapore Election Watch |
However, the million dollar question remains. Can citizen journalism replace professional journalism? Bloggers generally do not produce their own news stories. They normally comment on news stories that are already published by professional journalist found on news website. If professional journalist stop writing, there would be nothing available for the blogger to comment on. Professional journalist adhere to a set of code of ethics. They need to be objective when reporting. Can a blogger do the same? Professional journalist of large media organisations follow their beats for many years. Whether it is a editor covering politics or a sports columnist covering the latest sporting events, these professional write with authority because they know the subject. Bloggers may be experts only on their chosen topics. They may not have the resources to write with the same kind of knowledge and expertise as a reporter. Trust is earned by performance, not wealth of activity or exclusivity. People read a certain newspaper or listen to a particular TV or radio news shows because they trust these sources of news and information. The new online citizen journalist, the blogger and those who run websites, win trust through word-of-mouth that their information, opinions and insights can be relied upon (Saltzman 2005). So my answer is a clear "no". The current climate do not permit citizen journalism to replace professional journalism.
Whether through the use of blog, forum or video uploads, citizen journalism is here to stay. While it is still unable to replace professional journalism, we can see the important role citizen journalism plays, especially on subjects that main stream media ignore or cannot report about. Nothing holds more truth than the saying, "The pen is mightier than the sword". With technology, citizen journalism is able to reach far greater heights. A mighty empire can be brought to its knees overnight.
Reference :
Al-Din, A,S 2013, Citizen journalism in Syria, viewed 24 February 2013, <http://www.aawsat.net/2013/01/article55291531>
Barnes, C 2012, Citizen journalism vs. traditional journalism : A case for collaboration, Vol. 58, issue 2/3, viewed 24 February 2013, <http://search.proquest.com.ezlibproxy.unisa.edu.au/docview/1237145950/citation?accountid=14649>
Barnes, C 2012, Citizen journalism vs. traditional journalism : A case for collaboration, Vol. 58, issue 2/3, viewed 24 February 2013, <http://search.proquest.com.ezlibproxy.unisa.edu.au/docview/1237145950/citation?accountid=14649>
Bowman, S, Willis, C 2005, The future is here, but do news media companies see it? Niemann Reports 59.4, <http://search.proquest.com.ezlibproxy.unisa.edu.au/docview/216752463/fulltextPDF?accountid=14649>
Saltzman, J 2005, Everyone's a journalist, vol. 134, issue 2726, viewed 24 February 2013, <http://search.proquest.com.ezlibproxy.unisa.edu.au/docview/214605929/abstract?accountid=14649>
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