Journalism as Social Networking: Lessons from the Australian youdecide2007 Project Professor Terry Flew, Media and Communication, Queensland University of Technology Dr. Jason Wilson, e-Democracy Director, GetUp!

Citizen Journalism ‘ when the people formerly known as the audience employ the press tools thy have in their possession to inform one another’ (Jay Rosen) ‘ journalism as a conversation or seminar’ (Dan Gillmor) ‘ challenging the status of the journalist as the sole “expert” or definer of “reality”’ (Chris Atton) ‘ challenge the entrenched division of labour (producers of stories versus consumers of stories) that is the essence of media power’ (Nick Couldry)

‘ when the people formerly known as the audience employ the press tools thy have in their possession to inform one another’ (Jay Rosen)

‘ journalism as a conversation or seminar’ (Dan Gillmor)

‘ challenging the status of the journalist as the sole “expert” or definer of “reality”’ (Chris Atton)

‘ challenge the entrenched division of labour (producers of stories versus consumers of stories) that is the essence of media power’ (Nick Couldry)

youdecide2007 Australian Federal election citizen journalism site

Three Layers of Impact of New Media Technologies artifacts or devices (technologies) that enable and extend our ability to communicate; communication activities and practices we engage in to develop and make use of these technologies; social arrangements, institutions and organizational forms that develop around the use and management of these technologies.

artifacts or devices (technologies) that enable and extend our ability to communicate;

communication activities and practices we engage in to develop and make use of these technologies;

social arrangements, institutions and organizational forms that develop around the use and management of these technologies.

Change factors in journalism (Mark Deuze) ‘ Ethics on the run’ Formal code of ethics Ethics Ongoing editing and user involvement (palimpsest) Time-dependent media Immediacy Collaborative production models Free from censorship Autonomy Multiple and conflicting points of view Neutrality, impartiality and ‘professional distance’ Objectivity ‘ The public’ using media to tell own stories ‘ Watchdogs’ to the wider public Public service Impact of new media technologies Underlying concepts and applications in practice Core elements of professional self-definition

Journalism as social networking ‘ Produsage’ (Axel Bruns) ‘ Pro-am’ or ‘semi-pro’ journalism’ (Leadbeater & Miller; Jay Rosen) ‘ Redaction’ (John Hartley) ‘ Preditors’ (Toby Miller) ‘ Networked journalism’ (Charlie Beckett) ‘ Crowdsourced journalism’ (Jeff Howe)

‘ Produsage’ (Axel Bruns)

‘ Pro-am’ or ‘semi-pro’ journalism’ (Leadbeater & Miller; Jay Rosen)

‘ Redaction’ (John Hartley)

‘ Preditors’ (Toby Miller)

‘ Networked journalism’ (Charlie Beckett)

‘ Crowdsourced journalism’ (Jeff Howe)

Types of citizen journalism/ networked journalism work Content work Networking Community work Technical work

Content work

Networking

Community work

Technical work

Content work Editing and making content Sustaining a news generating community Managing legal and ethical issues Managing quality issues Generating stories for site ‘stickiness’ and signposting

Editing and making content

Sustaining a news generating community

Managing legal and ethical issues

Managing quality issues

Generating stories for site ‘stickiness’ and signposting

Networking Integrating into broader ecology of mainstream and independent news sources Visibility and viability Cultivating sources and publicity outlets Re-use of content across multiple platforms and sites

Integrating into broader ecology of mainstream and independent news sources

Visibility and viability

Cultivating sources and publicity outlets

Re-use of content across multiple platforms and sites

Community work Service to users including site participants ‘Pros’ as educators and honest brokers Cultivation of ‘super-contributors’ User needs Training Site-specific information Mediation

Service to users including site participants

‘Pros’ as educators and honest brokers

Cultivation of ‘super-contributors’

User needs

Training

Site-specific information

Mediation

Technical work On-site tech work Off-site tech work Meta-tech work

On-site tech work

Off-site tech work

Meta-tech work

Conclusions Significance of citizen journalism may be more in prototyping new production models and practices than in overall audience size/user base Relationship between mainstream media and independent sites is more permeable than either side commonly acknowledges - ‘R&D’ of future news production Sharing of experiences is vital, as all initiatives are works in progress rather than finished models Rethinking journalism training and education out of its ‘high modernist’ mode

Significance of citizen journalism may be more in prototyping new production models and practices than in overall audience size/user base

Relationship between mainstream media and independent sites is more permeable than either side commonly acknowledges - ‘R&D’ of future news production

Sharing of experiences is vital, as all initiatives are works in progress rather than finished models

Rethinking journalism training and education out of its ‘high modernist’ mode