EOTO Terms and Concepts: Citizen Journalism

Oxford dictionary defines citizen journalism as “the collection, dissemination, and analysis of news and information by the general public, especially by means of the internet.” Basically, this is a branch of journalism conducted by regular people in their regular areas of life. There are many aspects to this realm of journalism, and both positive and negative components. Overall, I believe citizen journalism to be an essential tool in the world of news broadcasting, however its presence should be coupled with that of professional journalism. 

Citizen journalism is beneficial to society for a variety of reasons. First, it allows for instantaneous coverage and streaming. In cases of sudden natural disaster, war zones, or unexpected tragedy, having witnesses on the scene with the ability of recording the events happening is crucial. Oftentimes, professional media outlets are unable to arrive at the scene quickly enough to capture the events happening. Or, they are unable to reach the areas where the news stories are happening. For example, this past fall when Hurricane Helene swept through Asheville, North Carolina, it was citizen journalism that allowed for the disastrous effects of the hurricane to be broadcasted to the world. The video below was captured by a resident of Ashville, trapped in their house but able to witness and share the horror of Hurricane Helene in ways that professional journalists were unable to.

Citizen journalism also allows for a diverse group of voices to be heard, especially in areas of government controlled media. This essentially democratizes news, offering real perspectives and unbiased angles. Furthermore, oftentimes citizen journalism creates specialized coverage on niche areas that may be overlooked by big media outlets. This is because people are inclined to broadcast stories and information they feel passionately should be shared with the world. Lastly, citizen journalism is far less damaging than professional journalism from a financial standpoint. This further increases the diversity of news, by allowing these stories to reach a broad group of people.

While there are many benefits to citizen journalism, some of these have the potential to be repercussions as well. For example, citizen journalism increases diversity of news broadcasting, allowing space for diverse, niche, and specific voices to be heard. While this seems beneficial, it can sometimes lead to echo chambers. An echo chamber is defined as “an environment in which a person encounters only beliefs or opinions that coincide with their own, so that their existing views are reinforced and alternative ideas are not considered.” The diverse nature of citizen journalism promotes the consumption of information that aligns with preexisting beliefs, therefore polarizing public opinion and political climate. Also, there is a major concern for accuracy and reliability with citizen journalism. Some of the training that goes into professional journalism teaches these journalists to distinguish accurate news, and without this training, citizen journalists are at risk for false information. This leads to a lack of credibility in this branch of broadcasting.

In conclusion, while there are some concerns with reliability and polarization, ultimately citizen journalism is a crucial tool in journalism, and provides so much opportunity for the collection and streaming of news stories worldwide.