Quote: "Citizen journalism, also known as collaborative media, participatory journalism, democratic journalism, guerrilla journalism or street journalism, is based upon public citizens 'playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing, and disseminating news and information.'"
Comparison and contrast of Citizen Journalism with traditional media.
Journalism ethics: A set of principles that guides journalists on responsible reporting and behavior.
News gathering techniques: The methods journalists use to collect information, such as interviews, observations, and research.
Citizen Journalism: Journalism done by ordinary citizens without professional training or background.
Objectivity: The principle of impartiality and neutrality in journalism.
Media ownership: The concentration of media ownership in the hands of a few corporations that can affect the independence of the press.
Newsroom culture: The environment in which journalists work, including values and practices.
Social media: A platform that allows users to create, share, and interact with content.
Investigative Journalism: The practice of reporting on issues that are of public interest and revealing the truth behind them.
News writing: The process of converting raw information into a news story.
Multimedia Journalism: Journalism that integrates different formats like text, images, audio, and video.
Press freedom: The right of journalists to report on issues without coercion or censorship.
Gatekeeping: The process of deciding which news stories should be covered and presented to the audience.
Agenda-setting: The role of the media in shaping public opinion by controlling the topics of discussion and debate.
Media bias: The tendency of journalists to slant their reporting towards a certain ideology or interest.
Fact-checking: The process of verifying the accuracy of information presented in a news story.
News selection: The process of choosing which news stories to cover and publish.
Infotainment: A fusion of information and entertainment, usually intended to attract a wider audience.
Press releases: A communication tool that provides information to journalists or the media.
Media literacy: The ability to access, analyze, and evaluate media messages.
Blogs: Online platforms where individuals can post personal opinions, analysis, and news.
Video blogs or vlogs: Short videos created by individuals and posted online.
Social Media: Platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram where users share immediate news and events with their followers.
Websites: Online platforms created by individuals or groups that report local or international news.
Podcasts: Audio broadcasts created by individuals or groups that discuss specific issues or events.
Photography/Blogs: Photography posted online that includes commentary.
Email newsletters: A regular newsletter created by an individual or group that highlights news and events within a particular industry, niche or local trends.
Collaborative citizen journalism websites: A space online where multiple users can submit news stories and receive feedback from their peers to develop news pieces.
Live streaming: Real-time video or audio reporting of events as they happen.
Traditional media: News organizations, including television, radio, and newspapers, with professional staff that reports and distributes news stories.
Quote: "Courtney C. Radsch defines citizen journalism 'as an alternative and activist form of news gathering and reporting that functions outside mainstream media institutions, often as a response to shortcomings in the professional journalistic field, that uses similar journalistic practices but is driven by different objectives and ideals and relies on alternative sources of legitimacy than traditional or mainstream journalism'."
Quote: "Jay Rosen offers a simpler definition: 'When the people formerly known as the audience employ the press tools they have in their possession to inform one another.'"
Quote: "The underlying principle of citizen journalism is that ordinary people, not professional journalists, can be the main creators and distributors of news."
Quote: "Citizen journalism should not be confused with community journalism or civic journalism, both of which are practiced by professional journalists."
Quote: "New media technology, such as social networking and media-sharing websites, in addition to the increasing prevalence of cellular telephones, have made citizen journalism more accessible to people worldwide."
Quote: "Notable examples of citizen journalism reporting from major world events are, the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Arab Spring, the Occupy Wall Street movement, the 2013 protests in Turkey, the Euromaidan events in Ukraine, and Syrian Civil War, the 2014 Ferguson unrest and the Black Lives Matter movement."
Quote: "Being that citizen journalism is yet to develop a conceptual framework and guiding principles, it can be heavily opinionated and subjective, making it more supplemental than primary in terms of forming public opinion."
Quote: "Critics of the phenomenon, including professional journalists and news organizations, claim that citizen journalism is unregulated, amateur, and haphazard in quality and coverage."
Quote: "Furthermore, citizen journalists, due to their lack of professional affiliation, are thought to lack resources as well as focus on how best to serve the public."