NDM News: Citizen journalism

Notes

• Examples:

Rodney King  Asian Tsunami, London Bombings 5th July 2015, Seung Hui Cho, Mumbai Bombings, Hudson River Plane Crash

• Theory (audience reception etc.) : 

Hypodermic Model, user generated content, gatekeepers

• Benefits to Institutions 

Institutions can access reports from incidents where they normally may not have been able to be. They have larger audience participation. 

• Benefits to Audience :

Audiences now create their own content and voice opinions and ideologies

• Wider Issues and Debates 

Many professionals may be kicked out of their profession. Institutions may rely purely on UGC. Is there a way to monetize UGC to benefit both the institution and the citizens.

• SHEP

Since 1991, UGC is on the verge of completely transforming the format of the news as well as the variety of news and the content of the news. Massive radical change from the traditional journalists. 

1) What is meant by the term ‘citizen journalist’?

The term citizen journalist is used for non-professionals (ordinary citizens) who reports, analyses and disseminates news or information.

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

In 1991, someone managed to film a scene of 4 police officers in Los Angeles who surrounded tasered and beat up Rodney King with clubs after a high speed chase.

3) List some of the formats for participation that are now offered by news organizations.

• Message boards  
• Chat Rooms
• Q&A
• Polls
• Have your says
• blogs

4) What is one of the main differences between professionally shot footage and that taken first-hand (UGC)?

The main difference between professionally shot footage and UGC footage is that it is considerably lower quality than professional. However, with the rise in technology and the updates of cameras,many UGC footage can be as clear as professionally filmed footage.

5) What is a gatekeeper?

A gatekeeper is a professional decision maker who has the ability to control and and edit information to make it relevant and accurate.

6) How has the role of a gatekeeper changed?

Gatekeepers roles have intensified as with the introduction of new and digital media as well as citizen journalism, has made it increasingly difficult to filter information. Gatekeepers now have to deal with much more ludicrous conspiracy theories on a much wider scale, making it almost impossible to find completely reliable information

7) What is one of the primary concerns held by journalists over the rise of UGC?

One of the primary concerns is that there will be fewer and fewer permanent staff in organizations, leaving only a very small work force to manage and assess the UGC.

8) 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

New and digital media is making it easier for ordinary citizens to put their input into the news. They have the ability to film incidents instantaneously which will allow journalists to write a more truthful and accurate account of events. 

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

It will  give news institutions more of a variety of news stories to include as their will be more reliable evidence to allow them to add detail to stories that may not have had much substance to begin with. 

• the role of professionals in news

In the near future, there is a high likelihood that there will no longer be a need for an abundance of professionals in the news as most of there content would be UGC. As the article states, there will come a time where the only professionals needed in an institution are gatekeepers who can assess and edit the user generated news in order to make it appropriate to be broadcasted to the public.