Essay - Journalism

Analyse the implications of online journalism and the extent to which "we are all journalists now", making reference to examples of both traditional broadcast journalism and citizen journalism.





The news and media are an ever growing industry, and it shows no willing to cease its exponential growth. However with this all - consuming demand of everyone needing to know frothing about everywhere there is a gap that has opened between traditional broadcast reporting and user generated content (UGC). Within this gap social media and citizen journalism have sprouted. Its amazing how one of the first things that people think of when disaster strikes it to take out their phone and record it. Now America is totally different to the UK in regards to filming news; the US loves to get everything on camera gore and all, they even have news helicopters they send out to film! Contrary to their eager attitude however there are stories even US news companies can't get footage of, for example the 2003 Thunder Mountain Railroad ride disaster in Disney land Florida. On the fifth of September 2003 a part of the roller coaster fell off resulting in a cart de-railing and killing a 22-year-old man named Marcelo Torres. Now there are several news reports on this however no pictures of videos of the event, which makes sense as camera crews would not have had the time or access to get into the park grounds to be in time to get any footage etc. This could be a very different situation however iv it had happened recently, due to the rising use of citizen journalism and UGC. Think about it, whenever something note-worthy happens someone is always there with a smart phone at the ready, eager to film it. But with the rise of new and affordable technology most people have the capability to do what a camera crew would do in 2003.




This constant obsession with catching everything on camera may have stemmed from the short videos known as vines, or the hope of getting their "five seconds of fame" by uploading videos to social media or you tube. Either way news companies have started to realise that this is a valuable asset that they can use to their advantage. But at what point do we draw the line? The BBC even broadcasted a video telling you what to do in the event of a terrorist attack, because they didn't want people to be caught in the crossfire whilst filming.




With increased social media and more expedited modes of communication, the face of journalism has changed from television hosts to a purported public population. In the past, journalists were people who wrote for newspapers, magazines or prepared news for broadcasting companies. Journalism as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is either edited news presentation through the media, public press or an academic study of news presentation through media. The term could also be used to describe writing designed for publication in a newspaper or magazine; writing characterises by a direct presentation of facts or description of events without an attempt at interpretation, writing designed to appeal to current popular taste or public interest. With technology allowing us to broadcast information to a wide audience, printed newspapers, magazines and television no longer appeal to us, and we turn to other sources to abstract information.




In this day and age, particularly among millennials, we are able to find out about the news from social media sites like Facebook and Twitter or online versions of well-established newspapers. Regardless of the outlet, the rise of technology in our society has allowed for voices of regular people to be heard by millions of people within seconds. Consequently, this ability for the layperson to inform the greater public with a tweet or Facebook post has carved the way for anyone to become a journalist. Editing and news information no longer require a long tedious process, and we can appeal to a wide audience as technology has allowed information and popular culture to spread at speeds much faster than the press.




Recently, the umbrella revolution, sparked by a change in the city’s electoral system by the ruling communist party of China had occurred in Hong Kong. I remember immediately finding out about the event through Facebook when friends posted statuses and shared information on my Facebook “Newsfeed” regarding the events. Although halfway across the world, I was informed about the ongoing protests within seconds in Hong Kong, and shared photos of police armed with tear gas, and citizens blocking the roads of the fast pace finance districts and centres. Some friends were in support of the protesters, even among them, while others were not. On Facebook, I saw reactions from friends at Wellesley, my high school, and residing in other countries. As a second hand observer, I was more intimately involved in events of the protest than I would have been had I found about the revolution from a news reporter broadcast on TV or from a New York Times publication. I had seen a direct presentation of facts, and my friends were the reporters.




As the world becomes more globalised, our networks and community expand. Some may say this information we receive through peers on social media platforms are more reliable, while others argue it is less reliable.




Even though the press could be viewed as more reliable than social media platforms, biased views could take place regardless of the official title of established companies. The Fox News controversies are an example of all the errors that could occur with news companies. The online encyclopedia people use to discover and double check facts. Although we know that anyone can post on Wikipedia, many people from students, homemakers and even many in the workforce, rely on it heavily as a source of information.




Moreover, even newspaper companies such as The New York Times and The Chronicle have created online pages and accounts on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter for people to follow, and that is mixed into a feed of posts and publications from friends and family. As you scroll through what is called a “newsfeed,” information from a variety of different sources combined becomes the way in which you hear about news. In lieu of printing, Buzzfeed, Elite Daily, Huffington Post and other younger newspaper companies also gather most of their reader base online as an adaption to the popularisation of technology to abstract news information.




Many of these companies are now accepting articles from writers who are not professional journalists. Consequently, companies are broadening the definition of the word journalist, in that anyone with knowledge and information can publish, as long as they have access. Formal education for journalism could enhance prior knowledge and solidify a background in the subject, but it is no longer necessary to be a reporter. In relation to the question of whether technology has allowed us to all become journalists, Dalila Stanfield ’18 feels, “Journalism is more than just posting information. It’s about research, interviews and interpersonal communication. If bloggers communicate with one another that can count as journalism, but there must be some sort of research or credibility to it. That’s why blogs exist, because people want to have a voice.”




How is a post by Diane Sawyer different from a post by a college student? As a NBC journalist, Sawyer’s tweets are more motivated on gaining viewers and followers, so her account may involve more eye-catching information and events for a broad audience. The tweets of a college student, on the other hand, may be more about straightforward occurrences in her daily life and a voice for her daily struggles. Journalism professor at Salisbury University Jennifer Brannock Cox argues that when we post on social media, we become a journalist whether we intend to or not. She says these platforms are, “primary news-disseminating tools about which all reporters must be savvy.” However, Cox also asserts that information online is not as reliable because, “when anyone can post anything any time without restraint, the perpetuation of false and subjective information is inevitable.” Although journalism disregards false and subjective information, there is still much true information that people gather from social media, allowing journalism to be open to the public. Still, some believe that journalism is not a title that was broadened with the use of technology. When asked whether anyone could become a journalist with the use of social media allowing reporting to occur anywhere, Surisadai Aquit’ 18 said, “No, not everyone can be a journalist because it is a profession and you need to study to become one, it is a career and occupational title.” However, her boyfriend, Chang Wook Joo, a second year student from South Korea at Berklee College of Music, shares a similar opinion to Professor Cox. He explains, “Yes, everyone could be considered a journalist, but it’s up to the reader to believe the information or not since it may not be accurate.”




Newspapers, magazines and television were important forms of communication in the past. But with the rise of technology in our society, everything must adapt. Journalism is no longer something that must be studied in order to be pursued. Anyone can become a journalist, because anyone has the tools to broadcast news information to the public. The public is also heavily relying on social media platforms as a means of learning news information. As Cox stated, with the inevitable perpetuation of false information, the reader now has more power in deciphering between the accuracy of information. Nonetheless, biases can prevail in any situation, and it is important to now adapt to the fact since our modes of communication have changed along with the position of journalism in our society. Even with recent events, we see social media as a key mechanism to change the media’s conversation.







IN JANUARY 2011, A NEWS RELEASE from Jamaica's Constabulary Communication Network (CCN) indicated that a man who attacked the police had been shot and killed. It was not long after, however, that a citizen of the country began circulating video footage which told a different story. The footage showed the man who was said to have attacked the police seemingly writhing in pain, being beaten with a police baton and finally shot and killed while still down, subdued and unarmed.




The identity of that citizen who videotaped those images resulting in the arrest of the two policemen was never revealed, despite appeals from law enforcement officials. The action by that Jamaican citizen brought into sharp focus the fact that information and communication tools, such as mobile telephones and the Internet, are bringing about a level of access to information that is unprecedented. Blogs, forums, uploading of photographs or videos to the Internet, are now being labelled 'citizen journalism' as distinct from additional, mainstream or professional journalism.




The idea behind citizen journalism is that people without professional or formal training in journalism have an opportunity to use the tools of modern technology and the almost limitless reach of the Internet in order to create content that would otherwise not be revealed, as this kind of journalism goes far beyond the reach of professional journalism.




Citizen journalism, or participatory journalism as it is alternately labelled, is the act of a citizen or group of citizens involved in the process of collecting, reporting, analysing and disseminating news and other forms of information. The objective of this type of exercise is to provide independent, wide-ranging and relevant information that is crucial to democratic societies.




Peter Dooley suggests that "traditional journalism is the outside looking in. Citizen journalism is the inside looking out. In order to get the complete story, it helps to have both points of view." Dooley's argument suggests that there is a place for this emerging phenomenon called citizen journalism, as well as for the profession that has been practised for decades called mainstream or traditional journalism.




Citizen journalism, as we know it now, was popularised in the late 1990s as more and more people, in both the developed and developing worlds, became connected to the Internet. The term is viewed as an umbrella concept that covers blogging as well as other institutional practices - such as the opportunity provided by one of Jamaica's three free-to-air television stations, CVM Television, through its I-Watch Report segment that allows viewers to send in reports of events or activities in their location. Other definitions include any form of user-generated content or contribution to the debate that is taking place in the public sphere. These would include postings on personal websites and social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. Radio stations in Jamaica, such as Nationwide News Network, have made these sites a regular part of their commentary as they solicit views from listeners and incorporate these in their current affairs programmes.

In conclusion, whiile many researchers are in agreement that the term citizen journalism did not exist before the age of the Internet and that this phenomenon grew in tandem with the growth of the Internet, others posit a different view. According to Dan Gilmor, "Citizen journalism has existed in the form of independent community papers and newsletters since the eighteenth century." It is only now, with the advent of the Internet, that more ordinary people have access to media and communication tools and facilities to make their opinions known and their voices heard, hence the focus is on citizen journalism.