Thursday, November 6, 2008

My Understanding Of Citizen Journalism

As viewers of prime-time television news, many people see examples of citizen journalism without being aware of it. It is common for news programs to request pictures & video taken from mobile phones to use as coverage of breaking news stories. Australia's Channel TEN is a clear example of a network that gathers news content in this manner, they have even dubbed this feature of their news "Roving Reporter".
Another not-always-noticed form of citizen journalism are online entertainment blogs. These usually cover fashion, music, art & design and literature- but they can be about anything in the world. These blogs can be useful because they inform readers about new products and consumer trends that have not made it to retail shelves or printed publications. For example, music blogs such as Insomnia Radio, contain great music that will not be heard on radio, for listeners to download and keep.
Gone are the days where journalism means a sharp suited, smooth talking, network bigwig- My experience tells me that citizen journalism is people from all kinds of demographics sharing information about anything at all.
Have you ever seen a photo on the TV news taken from a mobile phone? Or Are there any blogs you visit that you now recognise as citizen journalism?

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