Discussion is class this week focused primarily on the nature of citizen journalism and its surrounding controversy. Citizen reporting is undoubtedly fostered by the growth of various technologies including fast Internet connections, social networking media (i.e. Twitter, Facebook) and improved camera and recording devices.
Conjecture surrounds the notion of whether journalism can continue to be defined as a profession in the contemporary framework. There is no doubt that there has been some shifting of the goalpost in terms of what can be defined as a journalist. Long gone are the days where journalism fits neatly into the category of "middle class professionalism" (Carey 1997, p.242,) with the likes of teachers, lawyers and doctors. That is not to say that journalism has lost some credibility as a legitimate occupation, just that the technical training and skill development has allowed anyone with an Internet connection or camera phone to contribute to the dissemination of the news. Most definitions of `profession` focus on the need ``specialised educational training`` with ``specified rules of conduct that members abide by`` (Australian Council of Professions 2004.)
In this sense, journalism is losing its title as a profession. Citizen reportage is not subjected to the editorial checks and balances of mainstream news rooms, and the anonymity that the Internet allows means there is no need for citizen journalists to abide by the ethical responsibilities typical of the journalism profession.
In fact, many traditionalists would argue that citizen journalism is not in fact news at all. Knight (2000, p.48) offers the following definition of journalism:
"Journalism could be said to be non-fiction writing which relies on identifiable sources."
Arguably citizen journalism fails to pass as "journalism" with this definition on the basis of its sources. The fact that a blogger/citizen journalist can protect their identity from public exposure, and distribute information globally without accountability for the transparency of their sources brings into question the legitimacy of the citizen journalism function.
Personally I feel that there is a place in the journalism sphere for citizen reporting, but on an editorial or opinion-based level, not as objective fact-reporters. Citizen journalists can be witnesses to the story, and crucial parts of a story, but the content they provide will inevitably be jaded by some subjective viewpoint. The checks and balances of the mainstream news to ensure professionalism and objectivity cannot be ensured by citizen reporting. One example that was talked about in this week's tutorial was a quote provided by a witness of the London Bombings in 2005 on their blog. The quote read as follows:
``My mouth was so dry. My lungs felt full of choking dirt and I became aware of a bleeding gash full of glass in my wrist and that I could see the bone in my arm, and then I felt sick`` (Rachel North London 2005.)
This is obviously an incredibly detailed first-hand account of the experiences of a survivor of the bombings. Without the growth of blogging technologies it is likely that this account would never have been disseminated by the traditional media. Such a story has merit in the journalism sphere. It specifically accounts for how the events unfolded from a primary source. However this should be regarded as an eye-witness report, rather than actual reporting. In no way am I accusing the victim blogger of lying about her harrowing experience, I am merely stating that her role in reporting this information should be considered to be as a ``victim`` or ``witness``, rather than as a ``journalist.``
One aspect that failed to be discussed in this week's tutorial is the role social media has to play in citizen journalism. Arguably users of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter do not intend to adopt the role of citizen journalists by using the media. However, the reporting by Iranian citizens of the civil unrest taking place through Twitter in 2009 is seen as a landmark for citizen reporting. Questions surround this: Did these people have the intention of having their stories told in the mainstream Western media? Alternatively, were they merely updating their Twitter followers of the going-ons of their lives. Much is to be said about a person's INTENTION to be a citizen journalist. Questions surround whether these people are in fact citizen journalists, or witnesses conveying their accounts to the mainstream media.
There are now also numerous examples of when prominent media stories have been initiated by citizen journalists. One well-known example of this occurred in January 2009 when a passenger jet crash-landed into the Hudson River in New York. Photographer and social media user, Jamie Krums, captured the moment with his camera and reported it on Twitter (Ovide 2009.)
In terms of analysing debate online about the validity and usefulness of citizen reporting, it is important to be aware that much of this content has been generated by citizen journalists themselves. Such people now have the means, and the drive to disseminate online content. They also have the means to justify their positions in the journalism sphere. Therefore as a user of such online content, it pays to be aware of the subjective factors influencing the writer's point of view, especially in online analysis of this debate.
Personally I am of the view that traditional journalism and citizen journalism can co-exist. However citizen journalism is not reliable enough to exist without the mainstream media. Readers and audiences have a responsibility to be discerning enough to approach blogging and citizen journalism with a degree of wariness about its truth and validity. This is because citizen reporting is not impeded by the checks and balances mechanisms imposed on traditional media such as the written press and broadcast reporting.
References
Australian Council of Professions 2004, About Professions Australia : Definition of a Profession, accessed at 13 August 2010, http://www.professions.com.au/defineprofession.html.
Stryker, E. and Warren, C.A (eds), James Carey: A Critical Reader, University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis.
Knight, A. 2000, ``Online investigative journalism,`` Australian Journalism Review, vol.22, no.2, December.
Ovide, S. 2009, ``Twittering the USAirways plane crash,`` Wall Street Journal, 15 January, accessed 13 August 2010, http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/01/15/twittering-the-usairways-plane-crash/.
Rachel North London 2005, Kings Cross Bomb - my eyewitness account from the bombed carriage, 8 July, accessed 13 August 2010, http://rachelnorthlondon.blogspot.com/2005/07/kings-cross-bomb-my-eyewitness-account.html.
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