Citizen journalism

Lore & Background

Citizen journalism, also known as participatory, grassroots, or street journalism, involves ordinary community members actively collecting, reporting, analyzing, and disseminating news, rather than relying solely on professional journalists. This practice is defined as an alternative form of news gathering that operates outside mainstream media institutions, often arising in response to perceived shortcomings in professional journalism. It uses similar journalistic methods but is driven by different objectives and ideals, relying on alternative sources of legitimacy. A key principle is that ordinary people, using the press tools available to them, inform one another. This form of journalism is distinct from community journalism or civic journalism, which are practiced by professionals, and from collaborative journalism, which involves both professionals and amateurs working together. It is highly embedded in local communities, where residents engage in routine storytelling about local politics, public affairs, community events, neighborhood issues, schools, and transportation. The term "citizen journalism" underscores the link between journalistic practice and its relation to the political and public sphere, combining civic-mindedness with the profession of journalism. The rise of online platforms, including social networking and media-sharing websites, along with the widespread use of cellular telephones, has made this form of journalism more accessible globally. Citizens can often report breaking news more rapidly than traditional media reporters. However, because it lacks a formal conceptual framework and guiding principles, citizen journalism can be heavily opinionated and subjective, making it more supplemental than primary in shaping public opinion. Critics, including professional journalists, argue that it is unregulated, amateur, and inconsistent in quality and coverage, and that citizen journalists may lack the resources and focus to best serve the public.

Reader's Guide

Citizen journalism presents a radical challenge to the professionalized and institutionalized practices of mainstream media. According to Flew, three elements critical to its rise are open publishing, collaborative editing, and distributed content. The literature of citizen, alternative, and participatory journalism is most often situated in a democratic context and theorized as a response to corporate news media dominated by an economic logic. Some scholars have sought to extend its study beyond the developed Western world, noting that throughout the Arab world, citizen journalists have emerged as the vanguard of new social movements dedicated to promoting human rights and democratic values. However, citizen journalism is yet to develop a conceptual framework and guiding principles, and can be heavily opinionated and subjective, making it more supplemental than primary in forming public opinion. Critics, including professional journalists and news organizations, claim it is unregulated, amateur, and haphazard in quality and coverage, and that citizen journalists lack resources and focus on how best to serve the public.

Did You Know?

• Courtney C. Radsch defines citizen journalism as an alternative and activist form of news gathering that functions outside mainstream media institutions.
• Jay Rosen defined it as 'When the people formerly known as the audience employ the press tools they have in their possession to inform one another.'
• Citizen journalism should not be confused with community journalism, civic journalism, collaborative journalism, or social journalism.
• A research team of citizen journalists created an OER library containing video interviews to provide access to reliable sources.