Citizen Journalism 2

8/9/2019 Citizen Journalism 2

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The Free Press 2.0

± Citizen Journalism

Lesson Aims:

Explore how Web 2.0 technologies have changed how information is shared andnews is reported.

Understand the opportunities of Citizen Journalism

Research examples and prepare for an timed essay question on what we havelearned so far.

The Free Press Corporate Press Citizen Press



Stages of JournalismDefined By:

Promoting Free Speech ± The right to speak out and publish onimportant issues, even those the government or those in power mayobject to.

Serving the Public Interest ± What citizens need to know tocontribute effectively to a democracy.

Limited by: Gatekeeping ± No matter how good a journalist¶s ethics are storiescan get changed through selection of key information by newsgatherers and publishers.

The Free Press

Corporate PressDefined By:

The Corporate Interest ± News Values (the importance of onestory over another) is driven not by the public interest but bywhatever will sell the most. Evolution of a number of questionablepractices:

± Press Release Journalism

± Chequebook Journalism

± Personal/Political Bias

± Moral Panics

Limited by:

Regulation ± The Press is regulated by itself through the PressComplaints Commission and by Statutory RegulationsLibel/Defamation/Privacy Laws.



Citizen JournalismNews reported, shared, copied, commented on by citizens

throughout a society without a central institution.How is this phenomenon

fuelled by technologies such

as?

Blogging

Social Networking

Mobile Phone Cameras

Twitter

File Sharing

Video Streaming Forums

How does it affect We Media

concepts like?

Free Speech

The Public Interest

Oligopolies

The Corporate Interest

Press Regulation

Press Release Journalism

Political Bias

Moral Panics

Chequebook Journalism

Hegemonies

Egalitarianism



Citizen JournalismIs an EMERGENT system. No oneplans it out from the top but itevolves from the actions of all thepeople working as CitizenJournalists. From the bottom up.This means that CitizenJournalism:

Offers freedom for its users

It is very hard to regulate how it isused and by who.

THREE EXAMPLES:

Many People Act on their own, systems emerge



Positives:

Allows freedom of speech for all

those who can connect online. (25% of

the planet and rising)

Allows information to be distributed

that normally wouldn¶t because of:

Government censorship

Press Exclusion

Against Corporate Interest (No

monetary value/negative for

corporation)

Allows citizens to form networks of likeminded people and have a greater

ability to make change

Allows anyone to share important

news.

Negatives?:

A few more examples:



Media Echo Chamber

A major criticism of blogs andother we media technologies.

People only connect, read andlisten to those who think the same

way.

Instead of using technologies toexplore alternative ideologiesusers tend to use those that agreewith them. Those that they identifywith.

Can actually result in people beingmore closed off to alternativeideas.



Positives:

Allows freedom of speech for all

those who can connect online. (25% of

the planet and rising)

Allows information to be distributed

that normally wouldn¶t because of:

Government censorship

Press Exclusion

Against Corporate Interest (No

monetary value/negative for

corporation)

Allows citizens to form networks of likeminded people and have a greater

ability to make change

Allows anyone to share important

news.

Negatives:

Can work as a Media Echo-Chamber

where beliefs and values are reinforced

and re-cycled by only listening to those

points of view you agree with. A kind of

personal gate keeping.

Allows extreme and violent aspects of

society an uncontrolled voice.

Is open to corruption by those with the

most money and power ± Governments,Corporations, Respected views.

So many people make the news it is

hard to see the truth or what is valuable.



Activity: Controlled Essay Question

In W e the Media, Dan Gillmor suggests that:

³Professional Journalism¶s worst enemy may be itself.Corporate Journalism, which dominates today, is squeezing

quality to boost profits in the short term«. Such tactics areultimately likely to undermine the business in the long term.´

(Gillmor, D 2004 p. XXVII)

Discuss whether or not Professional Journalism is destroying

itself by making itself less useful to audiences. Reflect onthe impact of citizen journalism in your answer. Make sure tocite several relevant theories and examples to back up your argument.



Activity: Small Scale Class Debates Teams of two:

1st Speaker ± Outlines key points of your argument and provides examples and evidence.

2nd

Speaker ± Adds supporting points andrebuts points made by opposing speakers.

2 mins each MAX to speak

You can have any kind of written notes in front of you.

30 mins to prepare.



Topic 1 ± Citizen Journalism and Web 2.0 technologies forcethe corporate press to think more about the public interest.

Topic 2 ± The Press is becoming less useful to audiences.

Topic 3 ± Citizen Journalism and Web 2.0 technologies make

audiences more aware of different points of view in the world.

Topic 4 ± Citizen Journalism and Web 2.0 technologieseliminate the problem of gate keeping in the news.

Debate Topics



Affirmative Topic 1 ± Citizen Journalism and Web 2.0 technologies force thecorporate press to think more about the public interest.

Negative Topic 1 ± Citizen Journalism and Web 2.0 technologies force thecorporate press to think more about the public interest.

Affirmative Topic 2 ± The Press is becoming less useful to audiences.

Negative Topic 2 ± The Press is becoming less useful to audiences.

Affirmative Topic 3 ± Citizen Journalism and Web 2.0 technologies makeaudiences more aware of different points of view in the world.

Negative Topic 3 ± Citizen Journalism and Web 2.0 technologies makeaudiences more aware of different points of view in the world.

Affirmative Topic 4 ± Citizen Journalism and Web 2.0 technologies eliminatethe problem of gate keeping in the news.

Negative Topic 4 ± Citizen Journalism and Web 2.0 technologies eliminatethe problem of gate keeping in the news.

Citizen Journalism 2

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Transcript of Citizen Journalism 2