Citizen Journalism

Citizen Journalism (CJ) refers to a wide range of activities that members of the public can contribute information and opinions concerning news events to. CJ is a very old, perhaps even ancient, practice that has evolved along with the technology of the age. The first major technological breakthrough to give CJ an effective outlet was Gutenberg’s moveable type printing press. The Gutenberg press revolutionised the media, effectively making scribes redundant and allowing publications to be made by anyone who could afford to produce them. These publications ranged from simple pamphlets and newsletters, to books and, eventually, newspapers. CJ was used in this way by Suffragettes during the early 1900s. By handing out pamphlets and flyers, they hoped to put across their message, change current opinion, and grant women equal rights.

As with the printing press, many think that the telegraph, radio, and television made significant contributions to this field. But it was not until the advent of digital technologies and media were the public given such unparalleled access to new production and investigative software, as well as an immensely improved systems of communication in the form of email, instant messaging, and web forums. This allowed CJ to develop into a media field that was increasingly professional, accurate, and world-wide.

Initially, the citizen journalists on the internet were primarily bloggers. These bloggers would not, in the same way as conventional journalists, investigate stories or use sources to gain information. They would take the information that had already been published and using their own style, reformat the story for their own use. Many bloggers have thousands of subscribers and can exert an increasing amount of influence. This style of blogger has become more popular since the creation of sites such as YouTube, home to the ‘Philip DeFranco Show’ and ‘What the Buck‘.

Of the more promising neo-CJ that has developed in recent years, the Huffington Post has emerged as a first-rate news source. From its formation in May 2005 as a forum for various bloggers, including Rob Reiner and Larry David. The Huffington Post has become a fully fledged news website, with over 3000 bloggers, and coverage that ranges from politics and religion, to entertainment and education.

In April 2008, during the run-up to the American presidential election, there was a demonstration of the influence that can be exerted by CJ; in this case through the Huffington Post. Mayhill Fowler, a blogger on the Post was following Barack Obama’s campaign through Pennsylvania to California. At a fundraiser in California, Obama, after asking members of the press to leave, gave a speech that discussed the cultural gap in certain states such as Pennsylvania, as opposed to richer, more liberal states, such as California. Fowler, not technically a member of the press was not required to leave and was able to record the speech. As a result, she was able to publish a story that quoted him saying that Pennsylvanians, “cling to guns or religion”. Regardless of Obama’s intentions, this remark almost cost him the election. If Fowler had not been there as a representative of CJ, this may never have been reported and a huge amount of controversy would have been avoided. Nonetheless, the public had a right to know such statements were being made and CJ was able to provide the medium.