Beyond the Pro/Am Schism Opportunities for Collaboration between Professional and Citizen Journalists under a Produsage Framework Dr Axel Bruns Media & Communication Queensland University of Technology a.bruns@qut.edu.au – snurb.info

Citizen Journalism Common themes: deliberative journalism greater role for commenting and discussion but: fragmented, inconclusive, easily distracted hyperlocal coverage covering themes and places ignored by the mainstream but: interest horizon limits comprehensive coverage “ Estate 4.5” (Jane Singer) a watchdog for the watchdogs – gatewatching, not gatekeeping but: limited in its effects, despite well-known successes

Common themes:

deliberative journalism

greater role for commenting and discussion

but: fragmented, inconclusive, easily distracted

hyperlocal coverage

covering themes and places ignored by the mainstream

but: interest horizon limits comprehensive coverage

“ Estate 4.5” (Jane Singer)

a watchdog for the watchdogs – gatewatching, not gatekeeping

but: limited in its effects, despite well-known successes

Industrial Journalism Common themes: comprehensive coverage industry structure supports long-term investigative journalism projects but: decline in funding and staffing, increased reliance on newswires professional ethics objectivity and impartiality as key ideals of journalism but: no more than ideals, due to commercial and political pressures journalists as dedicated experts quality sources, quality research, quality writing but: routine worldviews, limited insight into complex topics

Common themes:

comprehensive coverage

industry structure supports long-term investigative journalism projects

but: decline in funding and staffing, increased reliance on newswires

professional ethics

objectivity and impartiality as key ideals of journalism

but: no more than ideals, due to commercial and political pressures

journalists as dedicated experts

quality sources, quality research, quality writing

but: routine worldviews, limited insight into complex topics

Experts and Amateurs Case study: Possums Pollytics during the 2007 Australian election blogger specialising in psephology (analysis of public opinion polls) rose to wider recognition in public stoushes with The Australian ’s election analysts (esp. Dennis Shanahan) “ sheltered academics and failed journalists who would not get a job on a real newspaper”; “ we understand Newspoll because we own it” (12 July 2007) “ statistical bloggers forever complain … and essentially want polls to be banished from newspapers and public debate except during an election” (21 Feb. 2008) Who’s the expert here? cf. Dan Gillmor: “my readers know more than I do” professional journalists vs. amateur journalists, but also professional psephologists vs. (very) amateur psephologists  scientific expertise (in psephology) trumps expert craftsmanship (in journalism)

Case study: Possums Pollytics during the 2007 Australian election

blogger specialising in psephology (analysis of public opinion polls)

rose to wider recognition in public stoushes with The Australian ’s election analysts (esp. Dennis Shanahan)

“ sheltered academics and failed journalists who would not get a job on a real newspaper”; “ we understand Newspoll because we own it” (12 July 2007)

“ statistical bloggers forever complain … and essentially want polls to be banished from newspapers and public debate except during an election” (21 Feb. 2008)

Who’s the expert here?

cf. Dan Gillmor: “my readers know more than I do”

professional journalists vs. amateur journalists, but also

professional psephologists vs. (very) amateur psephologists

 scientific expertise (in psephology) trumps expert craftsmanship (in journalism)

Citizens and Journalists Beyond ‘us vs. them’ mentality citizens as sources ( b readth of coverage): first-hand witnesses from ‘hyperlocal’ places and fields citizens as experts ( d epth): in-depth knowledge of specialist domains citizens as organisers (length over t ime): ongoing management of information flows b d t dimensions of news coverage

Beyond ‘us vs. them’ mentality

citizens as sources ( b readth of coverage):

first-hand witnesses from ‘hyperlocal’ places and fields

citizens as experts ( d epth):

in-depth knowledge of specialist domains

citizens as organisers (length over t ime):

ongoing management of information flows

Extending News Coverage citizen journalism b d t industry journalism

New News Models Beyond news production – enabling citizen participation: more space for involvement of users as content creators more fluid roles of involvement in news processes “ a small cathedral” supporting a large bazaar ( Ian Skerrett ) status of contributors determined more by track record than by position (active participation, not static expertise)  equipotential, heterarchical organisation of the news process Beyond news as product – enabling news extensibility: news reports flexible, not finished at time publication discussion and commentary as standard element of any news story news as product  news as process journalism as profession / craft  journalism as capacity / skill

Beyond news production – enabling citizen participation:

more space for involvement of users as content creators

more fluid roles of involvement in news processes

“ a small cathedral” supporting a large bazaar ( Ian Skerrett )

status of contributors determined more by track record than by position (active participation, not static expertise)

 equipotential, heterarchical organisation of the news process

Beyond news as product – enabling news extensibility:

news reports flexible, not finished at time publication

discussion and commentary as standard element of any news story

news as product  news as process

journalism as profession / craft  journalism as capacity / skill

News Produsage Produsage : collaborative and continuous building and extending of existing content in pursuit of further improvement (e.g. open source, Wikipedia , …) some key principles: communal evaluation of contributions and contributors fluid heterarchy of participants as determined by ad hoc meritocracy continuing process of content creation with unfinished artefacts  reshaping of news from conflict stories to information dossiers repositioning of journalists from sole authors to community leaders early examples: OhmyNews – Youdecide2007 – Off the Bus – myHeimat

Produsage :

collaborative and continuous building and extending of existing content in pursuit of further improvement (e.g. open source, Wikipedia , …)

some key principles:

communal evaluation of contributions and contributors

fluid heterarchy of participants as determined by ad hoc meritocracy

continuing process of content creation with unfinished artefacts

 reshaping of news from conflict stories to information dossiers

repositioning of journalists from sole authors to community leaders

early examples: OhmyNews – Youdecide2007 – Off the Bus – myHeimat

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