NDM News: Citizen journalism

article from Media Magazine: The Rise and Rise of UGC (Dec 2009).

• examples

King, an African-

American, after a high speed chase, the officers surrounded him, tasered him and beat him with clubs.

There were six days of riots, 53 people died, and 

around 4000 people were injured. The costs of 

the damage, looting and clear-up came in at up 

to a billion dollars.

The natural disaster of the Asian Tsunami on 

December 26th 2004

A second terrible event, the London 

bombings on July 5th 2005,

• theory (audience reception etc.) 

• benefits to institutions 

1. they are presented as less biased and more trust worthy

• benefits to audience 

1. it allows members of the public to generate their own news, with less bias factors surrounding it, which ultimately allows democracy. 
2. The audience can get a challenged and alternative perspective from citizen journalism
3. less polished and more trust worthy and objective
4. its more exciting to see the action live, is more interactive too
5. helps promote pluralism

• wider issues and debates 

1. we might see some really gory,and uncomfortable to watch; lack of censorship ultimately democracy 
2. competition with other news stations
3. could be a hoax 

• SHEP

1. social: it allows the wider public to me more involved with the news 
2. historical: the progression of this new technology has empowered the public and from recent times may have dis empowered professionals 
3. economical: this will definitely have an affect the revenue of the bugger news stations because average people will be able to provide news on social media making the news some what irrelevant  
4. political: through the rise of user generated content, news stations may not be able to effectively  promote their political beliefs 

Next, answer the following questions in the same blogpost:

1) What is meant by the term ‘citizen journalist’? 
the collection and analysis of the news by the public particularly shared on the internet 

2) What was one of the first examples of news being generated by ‘ordinary people’?


3) List some of the formats for participation that are now offered by news organisations.
comments 
talk shows

4) What is one of the main differences between professionally shot footage and that taken first-hand (UGC)?
its more real, exciting and trust worthy

5) What is a gatekeeper?
someone who controls the content allowed on the platform

6) How has the role of a gatekeeper changed?
they 

7) What is one of the primary concerns held by journalists over the rise of UGC?
they might become jobless as ordinary people are doing what journalists do for a living

Finally, consider the following questions and answer each bullet point in the same blogpost:

What impact is new/digital media having on the following:

• news stories

it allows people to have access to the news story before its released on the news via radio or tv, rather social media such as Twitter and Facebook

• the news agenda (the choice of stories that make up the news)

through new and digital media, the news is more objective and 

• the role of professionals in news

the role of professionals have become less important as it can be done by ordinary people.