I think that civic engagement and sort of citizen participation in journalism online represents the root of how Web 2.0 changes our society. Obviously aspects of online culture like remix, privacy and identity shape the way we perform on and experience web 2.0, but I think that this weeks topics are really a culmination of all the ways we use the web today.
I would say that citizen journalism and activism in pretty much the essence of participatory culture. I can't necessarily prove it, but I personally feel that journalism (that is the way we record and report on things happening around us) is the main way that people share themselves and todays online society allows pretty much everyone to share what they think is important and for the online community to decide if it is.
In the the study of citizen journalism read for class journalism was acknowledged more or less as people filming what is going on around them but I think that it probably goes a little bit further than that. Whether it be twitter, a blog, your facebook, reddit, youtube these are all outlets where we can be (to some degree) journalists, (while its not exactly the same i like this article for discussing how publishes can incorporate citizen journalism)
Previously mainstream culture has pretty much been at the disposal of major news outlets which in many ways allowed a select few to decided what was important. I think that one of the most drastic changes between now and a pre-internet era is that that dynamic has shifted. No instead of a media outlet choosing what is trending on twitter, it actually a community of citizens on their cell phones deciding what information we should care about.
The idea that anyone who experiences, witnesses or understands something happening in the world is able to share it with others and that that information is nearly as accessible as the home page of CNN I think is the essence of what Web 2.0 means to society.
I also think the international aspect of citizen journalism online goes to show just how reaching this part of online society is. We live in a place where there is trust between mainstream media and the public, but other parts of the world are a lot different. Consider Syria and Egypt where oppressive governments control media. The internet allows people who wouldn’t normally be able to communicate their experiences to do so, like these Syrian Bloggers .
I think it would be ignorant to really dub one aspect of online culture as the most important, but when you really look at the way elements of online society fall together I think these kinds of information sharing/ citizen journalism is the result that you get. In terms of how important it actually is? I think it is essential to empowering the general public and to the accuracy of information . Being able to share experiences isn't just about participating, it allows the people who read it to understand the world around them.
I completely agree that citizen journalism is a huge part of the participatory culture that the essence of Web 2.0 relies on. As American citizens we rely on the media for our news, however the media is not always as reliable as we want them to be. That is where citizen journalism steps in and shows the public – fellow peers – what is going on. With the advancement in smart phones, cameras, and tablets, it has become increasingly easier to whip out your cell and snap a picture or record an event instantly. In many cases citizen journalism captures incidents faster than national media stations, especially when it comes to unexpected catastrophes – take for instance 9/11. Many people passing by caught the events of that day on their cell phones before media stations could, which allowed the public to witness the horrible tragedy. This same scenario was also seen a couple months ago when an explosion happened in West, TX. A father and young girl were in their vehicle and caught footage of the explosion on a cell phone. Citizen journalism is a significant aspect of not only journalism and the media, but also one of the functioning purposes of what we know to be Web 2.0
ReplyDeleteWhile I do not necessarily agree with the idea that citizen journalism is the root of Web 2.0, it is certainly becoming a larger and more important part of how we are going to progress beyond this stage in Web 2.0 history. And while the convergence between citizen and professional journalism has already started (out of necessity in attracting customers; click bait), I fear professional outlets might seize upon the opportunity to present citizen journalism in a false light-- exaggerate trending importance, instigate dissent between users, basically shove important topics behind hashtags. Our citizen journalism in America currently leans more towards the armchairvigilante types, who push the news through channels and assign value without collecting the news [firsthand] or interacting with the situation. Across the globe, citizen journalism is a form of rebellion, and often a matter of personal/national security.
ReplyDeleteWhile both forms of citizen journalism are borne of necessity, and ours is a country where we are legally sheltered in being these kind of journalists, we must take note of foreign countries' mistrust of the news outlets and how they are going to skew the topics. When converging with professional news outlets, _we_ must design the rules and regulations, and hopefully set a helpful precedent the world over.
I agree that in terms of real world effect online journalism is most likely the defining aspect that the ever increasing capabilities of technology are ultimately a positive for humanity. Entire groups of people now have a voice where they previously did not, and atrocities are more easily and directly communicated to the rest of the world.
ReplyDeleteIt also offers an important sort of checks and balances aspect to how the media operates. Consider that the people who own the news corporation have their own biases and opinions that can affect how and what they choose to cover. The new online citizen journalisms insure that not only will stories be noticed, but that different viewpoints on stories will be expressed and readily available. This way we are able to increase our knowledge of what is going on in the world around us as well as actually do something to help those struggling.