Citizen journalism

1) What is meant by the term ‘citizen journalist’?

The concept of citizen journalism is based upon public citizens "playing an active role in the 

process of collecting, reporting, analysing, and disseminating news and information." 

2) What was one of the first examples of news being generated by ‘ordinary people’?

The recordings of the beating of Rodney King by four police officers was one of the early and most recognised examples of news being generated by 'ordinary people' it had been recorded, sent it by an everyday average man and was spreading across the internet and through newspapers, the policemen were then taken to court but were acquitted which then led to several days of riots within LA (I think). All because of that one moment where a man looked out his apartment window and decided to record the events of a beating became a huge news story.

3) List some of the formats for participation that are now offered by news organisations.

Comments sections
Forums
Allowing videos and photos to be sent in
Twitter to message or send info one to one with a journalist

4) What is one of the main differences between professionally shot footage and that taken first-hand (UGC)?

Professionally shot footage is taken at/recorded in high quality, has been edited and altered if needed, isn't shaky and usually has a journalist on site explaining a certain incident along with a set of lights to give a clear view of the journalist and the event unfolding behind them. While first-hand UGC is usually shaky, recorded on a low quality camera phone being slightly pixelated and hasn't been edited. The lighting would also be slightly off and there would be no professional on-screen/ on-site journalist

5) What is a gatekeeper?

A gatekeeper is someone who has control over saying what is news and what isn't, they have control over what is going to be shown to the public and portrayed as news an example of a gatekeeper would be a newspaper editor.

6) How has the role of a gatekeeper changed?

The role of the gatekeeper has changed because they now have less control over what is news and what isn't news, the public are now more in control especially with UGC as it could make a video go viral and have everyone talking about it, therefore a UGC became news through word of mouth and not the gatekeepers

7) What is one of the primary concerns held by journalists over the rise of UGC?

One issue that has risen from the rise of UGC is that journalists feel slightly threatened as their jobs are being taken over by members of the public, audiences are more likely to believe a raw footage than to believe a journalist who is on-site of an incident an hour after it had happened.

Finally, consider the following questions:

What impact is new/digital media having on the following:

• news stories
• the news agenda (the choice of stories that make up the news)
• the role of professionals in news

News stories have now changed, new and digital media has risen and millions have camera phones nowadays which therefore allows accidental citizen journalism to occur and a wider variety of stories to be captured on camera.

The news agenda has changed because of the variety created from the camera phones. UGC could also go viral and therefore have the public interest which may cause the news agenda to add in a certain story because of

Journalists feel slightly threatened as their jobs are being taken over by members of the public, audiences are more likely to believe a raw footage than to believe a journalist who is on-site of an incident an hour after it had happened. Professional content is losing its value and audience.