Building Spaces for Hyperlocal Citizen Journalism Dr Axel Bruns, Dr Jason Wilson, Barry Saunders Media & Communication Creative Industries Faculty Queensland University of Technology Brisbane, Australia a.bruns / j5.wilson / b.saunders @ qut.edu.au http:// gatewatching.org /

Citizen Journalism Challenges Common themes: “ Estate 4.5” (Jane Singer) a watchdog for the watchdogs – gatewatching, not gatekeeping but: limited in its effects, despite well-known successes 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  can be addressed through Pro-Am journalism projects

Common themes:

“ Estate 4.5” (Jane Singer)

a watchdog for the watchdogs – gatewatching, not gatekeeping

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

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

 can be addressed through Pro-Am journalism projects

The 2007 Australian Election (Some) analogies with 2004 U.S. election: substantial use of online media by established parties ( YouTube clips, Kevin 07 and LaborFirst sites, …) and media organisations ( ABC Online , News.com.au blogs, …) news blogs and citizen journalism recognised as important some persistent belligerence between citizen and industrial journalists but also key differences due to political cultures (compulsory vs. voluntary voting, Westminster vs. presidential system, …) Building on developed and maturing blogosphere: clear structure, established opinion leaders some blogs and blog-like sites commercially supported / operated e.g. On Line Opinion , Crikey , Blogocracy more or less clear distinction from mainstream media ‘commentariat’ for some, conceptually or geographically hyperlocal focus

(Some) analogies with 2004 U.S. election:

substantial use of online media

by established parties ( YouTube clips, Kevin 07 and LaborFirst sites, …)

and media organisations ( ABC Online , News.com.au blogs, …)

news blogs and citizen journalism recognised as important

some persistent belligerence between citizen and industrial journalists

but also key differences due to political cultures (compulsory vs. voluntary voting, Westminster vs. presidential system, …)

Building on developed and maturing blogosphere:

clear structure, established opinion leaders

some blogs and blog-like sites commercially supported / operated

e.g. On Line Opinion , Crikey , Blogocracy

more or less clear distinction from mainstream media ‘commentariat’

for some, conceptually or geographically hyperlocal focus

Conceptual Hyperlocality Psephology at Possums Pollytics and elsewhere specialising in psephology (statistical analysis of election results and polling trends) running commentary on polling results relatively unknown before the election operated pseudonymously by Possum Comitatus 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) cf. Dan Gillmor: “my readers know more than I do” (2003, vi) professional journalists vs. amateur journalists, but also professional psephologists vs. (very) amateur psephologists scientific expertise (in psephology) trumps expert craftsmanship (in journalism) now regular coverage of international, national and state opinion polls with The Poll Bludger , now part of Crikey ’s stable of political bloggers (since September 2008)

Psephology at Possums Pollytics and elsewhere

specialising in psephology (statistical analysis of election results and polling trends)

running commentary on polling results

relatively unknown before the election

operated pseudonymously by Possum Comitatus

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)

cf. Dan Gillmor: “my readers know more than I do” (2003, vi)

professional journalists vs. amateur journalists, but also

professional psephologists vs. (very) amateur psephologists

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

now regular coverage of international, national and state opinion polls

with The Poll Bludger , now part of Crikey ’s stable of political bloggers (since September 2008)

Geographical Hyperlocality Politics Where It Matters: Youdecide2007 hyperlocal election coverage from electorates across the country supported by ARC Linkage grant (QUT, National Forum, SBS, Cisco Systems, Brisbane Institute) strong focus on original material (candidate interviews, vox-pops, local issues reporting) some take-up in mainstream media and by political leaders esp. Peter Lindsay remarks (Lib/Herbert) on young people’s “financial illiteracy”: “I remember my own case. We sat on milk crates in the lounge room until we could afford chairs. … Things were more responsible.” (Interview by Jason Wilson, 10 Sep. 2007) project success limited by short lifespan – but proof of concept contributor take-up especially strong in rural and regional areas and among older generations unexpected for social media project possibly due to poor journalistic service outside metropolitan areas but also need for generation of seed content, editorial oversight site staff acting as role models for citizen contributors need to operate within Australian libel and copyright frameworks need to respect commercial interests of industry partners

Politics Where It Matters: Youdecide2007

hyperlocal election coverage from electorates across the country

supported by ARC Linkage grant (QUT, National Forum, SBS, Cisco Systems, Brisbane Institute)

strong focus on original material (candidate interviews, vox-pops, local issues reporting)

some take-up in mainstream media and by political leaders

esp. Peter Lindsay remarks (Lib/Herbert) on young people’s “financial illiteracy”: “I remember my own case. We sat on milk crates in the lounge room until we could afford chairs. … Things were more responsible.” (Interview by Jason Wilson, 10 Sep. 2007)

project success limited by short lifespan – but proof of concept

contributor take-up especially strong in rural and regional areas and among older generations

unexpected for social media project

possibly due to poor journalistic service outside metropolitan areas

but also need for generation of seed content, editorial oversight

site staff acting as role models for citizen contributors

need to operate within Australian libel and copyright frameworks

need to respect commercial interests of industry partners

Youdecide2007 Age Profile —— Inner Metro —— Outer Metro —— Provincial —— Rural

Youdecide2007 Article Hits

Youdecide2007 Commenting Patterns

Youdecide2007 Commenting Patterns

Conclusions Great potential for Pro-Am collaborations: ‘ professional’ content attracts new audiences ‘ amateur’ material encourages them to participate successful projects combine the two e.g. Youdecide2007 : staff and citizen material side by side e.g. Possums Pollytics : hybrid Pro-Am style e.g. myHeimat.de : hyperlocal CJ content used by professional news organisations e.g. Huffington Post ’s “Off the Bus”, MTV’s Choose or Lose ? Especially relevant for hyperlocal projects: enabling individuals to make small contributions to overall project aggregating individual hyperlocal contributions into topical / geographical whole

Great potential for Pro-Am collaborations:

‘ professional’ content attracts new audiences

‘ amateur’ material encourages them to participate

successful projects combine the two

e.g. Youdecide2007 : staff and citizen material side by side

e.g. Possums Pollytics : hybrid Pro-Am style

e.g. myHeimat.de : hyperlocal CJ content used by professional news organisations

e.g. Huffington Post ’s “Off the Bus”, MTV’s Choose or Lose ?

Especially relevant for hyperlocal projects:

enabling individuals to make small contributions to overall project

aggregating individual hyperlocal contributions into topical / geographical whole

Further Information Continued coverage of this and other projects: Gatewatching.org (Wilson, Saunders, Bruns) Youdecide2007.org Axel Bruns: snurb.info , Produsage.org Jason Wilson: GetUp ! Australia Barry Saunders: BarrySaunders.com

Continued coverage of this and other projects:

Gatewatching.org (Wilson, Saunders, Bruns)

Youdecide2007.org

Axel Bruns:

snurb.info , Produsage.org

Jason Wilson:

GetUp ! Australia

Barry Saunders:

BarrySaunders.com