Entries from March 2006
While Samuel Freedman, professor of journalism, Columbia University, makes several valid observations about Citizen Journalism, I take great exception to his statement that CJ is "part of a larger attempt to degrade, even to disenfranchise journalism as practiced by trained professionals." While it is true that some so-called citizen journalists thrive on any opportunity to play "online gotcha" with some politician's faux pas, there are others who view their blogged photography and writing as an valid extension of traditional news dissemination. Freedman himself references the London subway bombings and the various cellphone images provided by terrified passengers. Was this an attempt to "degrade" or "disenfranchise" traditional journalism? Please.
The fact of the matter is that public scrutiny of political hanky-panky, or gripping images from natural and man-made disasters are enhanced by the words and pictures that proactive citizens choose to upload. Without question, citizen journalists have taken us closer to the action, and have done so more quickly than traditional news outlets (see Katrina and 9/11). This, of course is because monolithic media understandably need time to become aware of and then respond to news, especially the breaking variety.
Thus, I pose the question: which is of more value, the cam-phone shots taken within seconds of a tsunami's ghastly devastation, or time-delayed images produced by trained journalists? The answer is that both are valuable for different reasons. The CJ images and words provide an immediacy that mainstream media simply cannot match. In these circumstances the story is photographed and reported on before authorities (and to some extent, the media) sanitize the scene. And certainly the later-arriving trained writer and photographer bring analysis and context to the unfolding events in a way no citizen journalism could or perhaps even should. And, for the record, I would hardly call youtube.com an example of citizen journalism (see excerpt below.) Let's call youtube Citizen Voyeurism.
The problem is observers who take an either/or approach when measuring the value of citizen journalism against the MSM. In fact, both are valid. Just ask those news editors who jumped at the chance to show images from London's smoke-filled Tube.
UPDATE
How does Prof. Freedman explain this?
CBSNews.com: Blog
To its proponents, citizen journalism represents a democratization of media, a shattering of the power of the unelected elite, a blow against the empire of Big Brother. Citizen journalism does not merely challenge the notion of professionalism in journalism but completely circumvents it. It is journalism according to the ethos of indie rock ‘n’ roll: Do It Yourself.For precisely such reasons, I despair over the movement’s current cachet. However wrapped in idealism, citizen journalism forms part of a larger attempt to degrade, even to disenfranchise journalism as practiced by trained professionals. As I said before, I appreciate the access that citizen journalism provides to first-hand accounts of major events. Yet I recognize those accounts are less journalism than the raw material, generated by amateurs, that a trained, skilled journalist should know how to weigh, analyze, describe, and explain.
Categories: Blogs · Citizen Journalism · Media
I’m blogging this using a new tool called Deepest Sender. If is a Firefox extension, and seems to work well, although I’d like it to pick up the URL that I’m linking to automatically. Otherwise, it seems worthwhile.
Categories: Blogs
Great story about how newspapers can really connect with citizens by empowering them. A must-read for anyone researching CJ. Grassroots Web concept branching out
“We receive more than 800 stories a week from parents, grandparents, professionals, public information officers, churches, town officials, business owners and others,” said Temple, about YourHub.com’s success. More than 400 events are posted on the offering’s various Web sites each week.
Categories: Blogs · Citizen Journalism · Media
Sometimes the MSM gets it. Rather than run from, or ridicule citizen journalism, Enterprise NewsMedia is fusing traditional news-gathering with the CJ crowd. Excerpt:
Vice President for interactive media Bob Kempf calls the site a "hyper-local Web network," saying "What I think distinguishes ours from some of the other citJ initiatives sponsored by traditional media companies is our tight integration of citizen content with professionally produced journalism."
Categories: Blogs · Citizen Journalism · Media · Newspapers
In a move that should surprise no one, and yet is stunning considering its implications, Google has taken legal steps that strongly indicate its intention to provide free wireless Internet service nationally. The search leviathon has filed for three patents that would allow Google to blanket America with free WiFi, oh and advertising too.
The implications of such a network are staggering when viewed through the lens of CJ. Consider this: if all Web-connected Americans have high-speed access to the Net, imagine the sheer volume of citizen-generated news and information. The biggest impact would come with video, the hottest development on the Net currently. Given the proliferation of camera phones, many if not most that also shoot video, and given the presumption that the quality of these devices will improve exponentially, it's not difficult to imagine CJ coverage of any number of things: spot news, civic meetings, law enforcement activity, major and minor natural disasters and the like.
This, of course, does nothing to address the thorny issues of quality and credibility. I do believe that forces simlar to those in the commercial marketplace will come to bear. That is to say, just as with goods and services, those offering good value and quality will rise to the top, leaving behind lesser offerings. The public is smart and knows value when it sees it. And, while the door is left open for journalistic abuse and other such mischief, I'm convinced that the good will exceed the bad. And, over time the truly valuable contributions from citizen journalists will come to be appreciated and anticipated.
Categories: Blogs · Citizen Journalism · Current Affairs · Media
When Citizen Journalism is done right it is an extraordinarily effective tool. And, it gets the notice of some very talented people. Such is the case with The War Tapes, a front-line look at the war in Iraq provided by boots-on-the-ground soldiers with digital video cameras. Here's what Mark Bowden, author, Black Hawk Down, had to say after seeing The War Tapes.
Categories: Citizen Journalism
This short video, shot and supplied by a cam-phone toting citizen, takes you close to the action as rock-throwing protesters clash with police in the streets of Paris. Nobody ever said journalism – citizen or professional – was fun.
Categories: Citizen Journalism
An Indiana newspaper journalist and instructor shares his concerns about CJ, noting the lack of recognition by many that journalism is hard work.
Categories: Citizen Journalism
It’s only logical that Craig Newmark – who’s Craig’s List is evisorating classified advertising in newspapers – would find Citizen Journalism to his liking. After all, it fits right in to his “power to the people” philosophy. Craigslist founder shrugs off star status and criticism
Categories: Citizen Journalism
I recently posted an entry about a fascinating citizen journalism project entitled The War Tapes. The following is the text of a comment left by the film’s creator, Deborah Scranton. I think you’ll agree the project is an extreme example of this important, emerging connection between journalism and the public.
Hi, I’m Deborah, the director of THE WAR TAPES mentioned above. First, thanks so much for the shoutout! We really appreciate it. We are relying on a grassroots effort to get the word out and really appreciate everyone’s help. The internet made this paticipatory film possible. It is the first documentary filmed by soldiers themselves on the front lines in the middle of a war.
The deal was, two years ago I got an offer to embed as a filmmaker, [but] instead had the idea to give the soldiers cameras.Directed through near perpetual IM and email, the soldiers would [email] quicktime clips to me from ambushes and self interviews, and we would talk about how best to tell the story, THEIR story. Pretty amazing process. It was permeable, living, always evolving.
Five soldiers filmed their entire year’s deployment with several one-chip high end Sony video cameras. They mounted tripods on gun turrets, inside dashboards and with the POV mounts on their kevlar. They filmed all of the footage in Iraq, over 800 hours of tape. They became cameramen and journalists. We did it together.
The web is a critical partner in our evolving narrative now, as we continue to tell the story, using the film itself “as a foundation of knowledge; an element that can be built upon with new elements of video, images and text to create an even broader and more reputable narrative thesis.” I really believe that this new model of ‘living’ narrative constructed from a center narrative will reverberate much longer and farther, like the ripples in water displaced by a single stone. At least, that’s my hope.
I’m really passionate about the power of the blogosphere in making the difference. I still believe in the power of the individual to change our world. *quote is from a post by Sean Coon on his site: http://www.seancoon.org/2006/03/the_future_of_documentaries.html
Categories: Citizen Journalism
