Citizen journalism is defined as citizens playing an active role in collecting, reporting, analyzing, and disseminating news and information to provide independent and reliable facts that a democracy requires. Examples of citizen journalism include blogs, chat rooms, website comments, Twitter, and YouTube or DailyMotion videos. While citizen journalism can serve as a counterweight to corporate media and promote civic engagement, it also risks having untrained journalists, political agendas, and spreading too much unverified information.

1. Citizen Journalism
● Definition: “The act of a citizen, or group of
citizens, playing an active role in the process
of collecting, reporting, analyzing and
disseminating news and information. The
intent of this participation is to provide
independent, reliable, accurate, wide-ranging
and relevant information that a democracy
requires”
– Shayne, B. & Wills, C. (2003). We Media: How Audiences Are
Shaping the Future of News and Information. (J. Lasica, Ed.)
Reston: The Media Center at the American Press Institute.

3. Commentary
● Blogs
● Chat Rooms
● Website Comments
● Twitter

4. Filtering and Editing
● Slate's “The Slatest”
● Drudge Report
● Huffington Post

5. Fact-Checking
● FactCheck.org
● Snopes

6. Grassroots Reporting
● CNN iReport is corporate response to
popularity of citizen journalism
● Youtube, DailyMotion
● Blogs
● Opinion Sections of Online Newspapers

7. Effects of Citizen Journalism
● Pros ● Cons
– Serves as a – Untrained
counterweight journalists
to corporate – Political/activist
media agendas?
– Mitigates the – Too much
social control information
effects of media
– Insulation
– Diversity of voices
– End of media as a
– Holds institutions tool for
accountable socialization
– Civic engagement