Citizen journalism vs traditional media

Most journalists that write for large newspapers hold impressive University degrees and have massive portfolios to prove their journalistic abilities.  They have the backing of large multinational news corporations and write full time as a job.  With the recent advances in technology it has become possible for the average citizen to create their own new stories which that can distribute globally in seconds via the power of the open Internet.  (Glaser, 2006)  There are many reasons why citizen journalists are a pleasure to watch or read about versus a professional full time journalist.  Citizen journalist offer views that a professional may not touch upon or see.  Often citizen journalists live in the communities they are reporting on and offer an insider perspective on an event that a professional may miss.   

Many people argue that citizen journalism is has problems with objectivity.  Many journalists offer skewed viewpoints that seek to benefit a certain group of people.  (Meyer, 1995)  This failure to offer objective reporting can mislead many into taking sides based on incorrect or heavily biased viewpoints.  Meyer lays out 6 defining elements of public journalism which include some more positive aspects of what citizen journalism should be about.  One of interest is that citizen journalists have willingness to delve deeper into stories allowing more in depth analysis of events. 

Citizen Journalism has a place in our everyday media repertoire.  I think that above all it is important to compare citizen journalism stories to the mass media publications and compare and contrast them.  I can’t imagine a world without mass media and I tend to be weary of citizen journalism.  I fear the complete lack of rules that exist for citizen journalist.  While some journalist may follow the ethical procedures that Meyer outlines in his paper I still trust the traditional forms of communication more than the independent journalist.  The area where citizen journalism seems to be a powerful tool is in areas where traditional news sources have trouble penetrating.  Areas like Iraq and Korea where there is strict control over who is allowed into the country is where citizen journalism shines.  In these places, where news normally does not escape that we need everyday people to create news stories so the rest of the world can know what is occurring in these hostile and closed media locations.

Glaser, M. (2006, September 27). Your Guide to Citizen Journalism. Retrieved                                     January 20, 2011, from Mediashift: http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2006/09/your-guide-to-citizen-journalism270.html

Meyer, P. (1995, Septermbet). Public Jounalism and the Problem with Objectivity. Retrieved January 20, 2011, from UNC: http://www.unc.edu/~pmeyer/ire95pj.htm