Citizen Journalism and its Future J 349T Writing for Online Publication Instructor: Seth C. Lewis [email_address]

Part I: A most useful definition Jay Rosen, 2008

“ When the people formerly known as the audience employ the press tools they have in their possession to inform one another, that’s citizen journalism.”

“ When the people formerly known as the audience employ the press tools they have in their possession to inform one another, that’s citizen journalism.”

“ When the people formerly known as the audience employ the press tools they have in their possession to inform one another, that’s citizen journalism.”

“ When the people formerly known as the audience employ the press tools they have in their possession to inform one another, that’s citizen journalism.”

“ When the people formerly known as the audience employ the press tools they have in their possession to inform one another, that’s citizen journalism.”

“ When the people formerly known as the audience employ the press tools they have in their possession to inform one another, that’s citizen journalism.”

“ When the people formerly known as the audience employ the press tools they have in their possession to inform one another, that’s citizen journalism.”

“ When the people formerly known as the audience employ the press tools they have in their possession to inform one another, that’s citizen journalism.”

“ When the people formerly known as the audience employ the press tools they have in their possession to inform one another , that’s citizen journalism.”

“ When the people formerly known as the audience employ the press tools they have in their possession to inform one another , that’s citizen journalism.”

“ When the people formerly known as the audience employ the press tools they have in their possession to inform one another, that’s citizen journalism .”

“ When the people formerly known as the audience employ the press tools they have in their possession to inform one another, that’s citizen journalism .”

Some key features of citizen-J Absence of a “middle man” in doing news Interpersonal form of newsflow (a “ person talking ,” like a blog) The act of citizens “playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information” ( Bowman and Willis )

Absence of a “middle man” in doing news

Interpersonal form of newsflow (a “ person talking ,” like a blog)

The act of citizens “playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information” ( Bowman and Willis )

Part II: Doing citizen journalism

How does this work in practice? You write about a city council meeting on your blog Capture eyewitness moment with your digital camera and post to a news site Grab video of something newsy and post to YouTube In other words … Create , augment , or fact-check media on their own or in collaboration with others

You write about a city council meeting on your blog

Capture eyewitness moment with your digital camera and post to a news site

Grab video of something newsy and post to YouTube

In other words …

Create , augment , or fact-check media on their own or in collaboration with others

How online news sites use citizen-J Pros in charge Amateur control Opening up to comments Add-on reporter Citizen bloghouse Stand-alone citizen site; minimal editing Hybrid: pro + citizen Wiki-style

11 Layers of Citizen Journalism Pros in charge Amateur control Opening up to comments Add-on reporter Citizen bloghouse Stand-alone citizen site; minimal editing Hybrid: pro + citizen Wiki-style

Layer 1: Opening up to comment Letting readers comment on news site Most basic form of participation Only comments on stories? … Why not classifieds, obituaries, letters to editor? But, how do you handle the toxic stuff? Require users to register (name/e-mail) “ Moderation a virtue? ”

Letting readers comment on news site

Most basic form of participation

Only comments on stories? …

Why not classifieds, obituaries, letters to editor?

But, how do you handle the toxic stuff?

Require users to register (name/e-mail)

“ Moderation a virtue? ”

Layer 2: Citizen add-on reporter Solicit info/experiences from community Example say there’s an issue piece on car thefts; “tell us your own experience”; submit photos, etc.

Solicit info/experiences from community

Example

say there’s an issue piece on car thefts; “tell us your own experience”; submit photos, etc.

Layer 3: Open-source reporting Collaboration between pro journalist and readers on a story “ expert readers” add knowledge, ask questions Sometimes even do actual reporting Examples “ We’re doing an interview with X; what do you want us to ask?” Circulate a draft version of report to bloggers, etc. Highlight reader tips in pop-up boxes online?

Collaboration between pro journalist and readers on a story

“ expert readers” add knowledge, ask questions

Sometimes even do actual reporting

Examples

“ We’re doing an interview with X; what do you want us to ask?”

Circulate a draft version of report to bloggers, etc.

Highlight reader tips in pop-up boxes online?

Layer 4: Citizen bloghouse Invite anyone to blog on your site … or invite selected people to blog Aggregate local blogs (like Greensboro101 ) Examples Austin American-Statesman’s reader blogs Bluffton Today’s community blogs

Invite anyone to blog on your site

… or invite selected people to blog

Aggregate local blogs (like Greensboro101 )

Examples

Austin American-Statesman’s reader blogs

Bluffton Today’s community blogs

Layer 5: ‘Transparency’ blogs Invite panel of readers to critique your work Think of it as “citizen ombudsmen” Milder form: the editor’s blog pulling back the curtaining on the newsroom

Invite panel of readers to critique your work

Think of it as “citizen ombudsmen”

Milder form: the editor’s blog pulling back the curtaining on the newsroom

Layer 6: Stand-alone citizen site Now we’re really getting serious … Users submit whatever they want Think lots of submitted photos Editors’ job? Ensure minimum level of quality (line-editing) Modest monitoring of content Essence: citizens’ more or less “own” the site

Now we’re really getting serious …

Users submit whatever they want

Think lots of submitted photos

Editors’ job?

Ensure minimum level of quality (line-editing)

Modest monitoring of content

Essence: citizens’ more or less “own” the site

Layer 7: Citizen site … unedited Costs less, and fits better in the spirit of citizen journalism On safer legal ground? Regulate content through “report misconduct” buttons? Not a lot of success stories so far?

Costs less, and fits better in the spirit of citizen journalism

On safer legal ground?

Regulate content through “report misconduct” buttons?

Not a lot of success stories so far?

Layer 8: Add a print edition Cull the best submitted content for print Keep editing to bare minimum Lend credibility and visibility to citizen site Primary source of revenue … But, is something lost here? Examples: YourHub Northwest Voice Bluffton Today

Cull the best submitted content for print

Keep editing to bare minimum

Lend credibility and visibility to citizen site

Primary source of revenue

… But, is something lost here?

Examples:

YourHub

Northwest Voice

Bluffton Today

Layer 9: Pro + citizen hybrid

Layer 10: pro + am under one roof Only nice in theory? …

Only nice in theory? …

Layer 11: wiki journalism

90-9-1 Principle

Or, Jay Rosen’s 1% doctrine Of citizen-generated news … 1% is high quality 10% is … well, OK The rest is garbage

Of citizen-generated news …

1% is high quality

10% is … well, OK

The rest is garbage