Citizen Journalism in the 2007 Australian Federal Election Dr Axel Bruns Creative Industries Faculty Queensland University of Technology [email_address] http://snurb.info/ – http://produsage.org/

Citizen Journalism and the 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, …)

(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, …)

Citizen Journalism in Context Gradual development: early citizen journalism as Gansian second tier of news: devoted “primarily to reanalysing and reinterpreting news gathered by the central media – and the wire services – for their audiences, adding their own commentary and backing these up with as much original reporting, particularly to support bottom-up, representative, and service news, as would be financially feasible.” (Gans 1980: 318) based on gatewatching, not gatekeeping (Bruns 2005) – observing, expanding, critiquing material published by first-tier media relying on users’ “random acts of journalism” – multiperspectival model based on probabilistic produsage effects (Bruns 2008)

Gradual development:

early citizen journalism as Gansian second tier of news:

devoted “primarily to reanalysing and reinterpreting news gathered by the central media – and the wire services – for their audiences, adding their own commentary and backing these up with as much original reporting, particularly to support bottom-up, representative, and service news, as would be financially feasible.” (Gans 1980: 318)

based on gatewatching, not gatekeeping (Bruns 2005) – observing, expanding, critiquing material published by first-tier media

relying on users’ “random acts of journalism” – multiperspectival model based on probabilistic produsage effects (Bruns 2008)

Citizen Journalism in Context Gradual development: recent citizen journalism transcends Gansian two-tier model: some independent reporting rather than dependence on mainstream sources especially for specialist topics which industrial journalism ignores or covers poorly exploration of hybrid pro-am models in the context of existing citizen journalism projects (e.g. OhmyNews ) or as an expansion of mainstream news reporting Australian developments lag behind international trends possibly due to relative apathy towards politics, and continuing limitations of Australian broadband networks

Gradual development:

recent citizen journalism transcends Gansian two-tier model:

some independent reporting rather than dependence on mainstream sources

especially for specialist topics which industrial journalism ignores or covers poorly

exploration of hybrid pro-am models

in the context of existing citizen journalism projects (e.g. OhmyNews ) or

as an expansion of mainstream news reporting

Australian developments lag behind international trends

possibly due to relative apathy towards politics, and

continuing limitations of Australian broadband networks

Key CJ Sites in the 2007 Election Policy Analysis for PJs: Larvatus Prodeo key site of the left-of-centre blogosphere, long-established run from Brisbane by Mark Bahnisch group of contributors from around the country some basis in gatewatching – posts triggered by mainstream reporting also substantial amount of original opinion writing some writers (esp. Bahnisch) now regular commentators in other online and print media public intellectualism, mainly for political junkies? still positioned in second, specialist tier of the mediasphere cf. Stephen Coleman: what is at risk if the uncomfortable chasm between the engaged and the disenchanted is left unreconciled? Democracy is ultimately unsustainable when the demos is estranged from it. (2003, 756)

Policy Analysis for PJs: Larvatus Prodeo

key site of the left-of-centre blogosphere, long-established

run from Brisbane by Mark Bahnisch

group of contributors from around the country

some basis in gatewatching – posts triggered by mainstream reporting

also substantial amount of original opinion writing

some writers (esp. Bahnisch) now regular commentators in other online and print media

public intellectualism, mainly for political junkies?

still positioned in second, specialist tier of the mediasphere

cf. Stephen Coleman:

what is at risk if the uncomfortable chasm between the engaged and the disenchanted is left unreconciled? Democracy is ultimately unsustainable when the demos is estranged from it. (2003, 756)

Key CJ Sites in the 2007 Election Pros and Amateurs: Psephology at Possums Pollytics specialising in psephology (statistical analysis of election results and polling trends) relatively unknown before the election operated pseudonymously by Possum Comitatus running commentary on polling results 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)

Pros and Amateurs: Psephology at Possums Pollytics

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

relatively unknown before the election

operated pseudonymously by Possum Comitatus

running commentary on polling results

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)

Key CJ Sites in the 2007 Election 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 true citizen reporting – politicians answerable to citizens-as-reporters hyperlocal positioning outside of two-tier system

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

true citizen reporting – politicians answerable to citizens-as-reporters

hyperlocal positioning outside of two-tier system

Key CJ Sites in the 2007 Election Watching the Watchers: The ABC Online Blogs various citizen journalism projects: ABC Online “Opinion” and “Unleashed” sections (invited contributors) “Unleashed: Sledge” channel on YouTube (user contributions) The Poll Vault , Rural Election Blog , Antony Green’s Election Blog (staff blogs) pre- rather than post-moderation limits free flow of conversation, but necessary for internal reasons (?) stifles development of community self-policing protocols sign of gradual exploration of collaboration opportunities with news bloggers, citizen journalists, and others harnessing outside expertise where required and appropriate developing multi-tier model where unruly content remains at arms’ length from (but closely interlinked with) core news material

Watching the Watchers: The ABC Online Blogs

various citizen journalism projects:

ABC Online “Opinion” and “Unleashed” sections (invited contributors)

“Unleashed: Sledge” channel on YouTube (user contributions)

The Poll Vault , Rural Election Blog , Antony Green’s Election Blog (staff blogs)

pre- rather than post-moderation

limits free flow of conversation, but necessary for internal reasons (?)

stifles development of community self-policing protocols

sign of gradual exploration of collaboration opportunities

with news bloggers, citizen journalists, and others

harnessing outside expertise where required and appropriate

developing multi-tier model where unruly content remains at arms’ length from (but closely interlinked with) core news material

Challenges for Citizen Journalism After the 2007 election experience: overcoming the participation gap no need for all PJ sites to attract wider audience, but how to increase circulation for their best material? recognising experts need for citizen and industrial journalists to draw on expert voices, while remaining critical where appropriate harnessing hyperlocal knowledge citizens are experts on their local environments, and hyperlocal citizen journalism often has no industry counterpart developing pro-am models linking citizen and industry journalism combining citizen-expert knowledge and engagement with journalistic writing, editing, moderation, and quality control skills Roy Greenslade: “ we are surely moving towards a situation in which relatively small ‘core’ staffs will process material from freelancers and/or citizen journalists, bloggers, whatever” (2007)

After the 2007 election experience:

overcoming the participation gap

no need for all PJ sites to attract wider audience,

but how to increase circulation for their best material?

recognising experts

need for citizen and industrial journalists to draw on expert voices,

while remaining critical where appropriate

harnessing hyperlocal knowledge

citizens are experts on their local environments,

and hyperlocal citizen journalism often has no industry counterpart

developing pro-am models linking citizen and industry journalism

combining citizen-expert knowledge and engagement

with journalistic writing, editing, moderation, and quality control skills

Roy Greenslade:

“ we are surely moving towards a situation in which relatively small ‘core’ staffs will process material from freelancers and/or citizen journalists, bloggers, whatever” (2007)