Wednesday, July 13, 2005
First Draft by Tim Porter: Shark Bites Citizen Journalism
First Draft by Tim Porter: Shark Bites Citizen Journalism: "I was at the gym this afternoon trying to reverse the effects of a late night of Dewars and dancing at the local rock n' roll saloon, done to the tunes of a Stones tribute band (love the wigs, lads!) and all in a celebration of a good pal's 40th birthday, when one of the TV screens hanging above the treadmills filled with the words, in all caps, CITIZEN JOURNALISM. CNN was asking viewers to email in photos and videos of Hurricane Dennis. (Here's a spot on CNN's web site asking for the same thing without the 'citizen journalism' phrase.
The CNN hurricane coverage producers clearly read all the stories generated after the London bombings about citizen journalism and it's a must-have component for all big stories henceforth.
(There were almost as many stories about citizen journalism after the bombings as there were stories about potential backlash against Muslims, most inspired by the spate of cell-phone camera photos from the damage subway tubes. Here's the Chicago Tribune, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, the Age (Melbourne), the San Francisco Chronicle, etc. I wrote about it, too. [Read: London Bombings: The Unread Newspaper.]
'Citizen journalism' as a concept is still being defined. At its base, though, are the acts of participation in coverage and creation of media. On a higher level, it involves a new definition of news and a realignment of the relationship between reporter and community."
The CNN hurricane coverage producers clearly read all the stories generated after the London bombings about citizen journalism and it's a must-have component for all big stories henceforth.
(There were almost as many stories about citizen journalism after the bombings as there were stories about potential backlash against Muslims, most inspired by the spate of cell-phone camera photos from the damage subway tubes. Here's the Chicago Tribune, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, the Age (Melbourne), the San Francisco Chronicle, etc. I wrote about it, too. [Read: London Bombings: The Unread Newspaper.]
'Citizen journalism' as a concept is still being defined. At its base, though, are the acts of participation in coverage and creation of media. On a higher level, it involves a new definition of news and a realignment of the relationship between reporter and community."
