The rise of citizen journalism in the Web 2.0 era

Citizen journalism complements mainstream media. Its importance in democracies has been tracked throughout history and the advent of the internet has significantly increased its role.Staunch advocates of citizen journalism are of the view that it exists to aid traditional journalism. Those ideologically inclined to this kind of journalism contend that with it, the citizenry can fact-check journalists, transparency is achieved and democracies are strengthened through community engagement.As per the definition proposed by media researcher Dr Rabia Noor, citizen journalism “is a rapidly evolving form of journalism, which has enabled ordinary people to report newsworthy situations around them.” According to Serena C. (2000), citizen journalists report on what is beneficial to the community. Shayne Bowman and Chris Willis explain citizen journalism is “[t]he act of a citizen, or group of citizens, playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analysing, and disseminating news and information.”According to a report published by the Open Society Foundations and authored by one Jurrat (2011) titled &#039;Citizen Journalism and the Internet - An Overview&#039;, citizen journalists have existed since the infancy years of the printing press. Jurrat stated that although limited, historically, citizens used brochures and pamphlets to communicate. However, he argued that with the internet, information can be instantaneously shared with wider audiences globally. To this end, the report outlined that this has made it possible for “non-professional journalists” to share experiences online.“At the international level, this has been most apparent during times of crisis: eyewitness reports on 9/11 or the violent crackdown on demonstrators during the contentious 2009 Iranian presidential election. Hence, many journalists and academics hail citizen journalism as a more transparent and democratic form of journalism,” reads the report.Internet developmentThose opposed to citizen journalism believe it has no place in the news ecosystem. Nowadays, to be a citizen journalist, it takes a smartphone, computer, data connectivity, electricity and the ability to navigate the internet.Investopedia defines Web 2.0 as “the second stage of the internet, which has more user-generated content, greater usability for end-users, a more participatory culture, and more inoperability compared to its earlier (first) incarnation, Web 1.0, which was dominated by static websites. Web 2.0 does not describe a formal change in the internet itself – there were no specific technical upgrades to the Internet – only a change in how 21st-century internet applications have transformed the way the internet is used.”Consequently, internet developments have increased participatory journalism. Today, platforms like Facebook, X – formerly Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp, TikTok, YouTube and online blogs and vlogs, amongst many others, come in handy for citizen journalists.According to research, initially, when citizen journalism started, the intention was to build a smart network mob whereby communities or individuals would come together for a good cause, sharing information and mobilising communities in times of disaster. Even so, this scope has since been broadened. In the Web 2.0 era, citizen journalism provides a platform for communities to have a voice, allows the public to fact-check traditional media, and interacts through comments and public discourse, to mention but a few.ChallengesWhen examining the rise of citizen journalism, what is worth noting is that like anything in the world, it has its shortcomings.Although the world is grateful for technological advancements, particularly the internet, accuracy has emerged as a major ethical concern in journalism. Citizen journalism allows individuals to report on events in real time, but this raises concerns about the accuracy of information. Misinformation, fake news and unverified claims can spread quickly, priming and framing audiences, as explained by the Agenda Setting Theory in media, which essentially notes that communications shape people’s perceptions. Imagine a scenario whereby audiences are misled and fail to pick up such distortions – it’s a recipe for a crisis.Undoubtably, Web 2.0 has paved the way for the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) in journalism. This entails citizens&#039; ability to manipulate news content, making distortions the order of the day and deep fakes can easily be mistaken for legitimate news.Sadly, this poses a challenge to fact-checking and threatens the credibility of journalism. Other challenges like a lack of regulation and bias come to the fore. In some cases, citizen journalists peddle propaganda. Due to this, there is a very thin line between truth and fabrications.While it goes without saying that journalism has leveraged the Internet of Things (IoT) / Internet of Everything (IoE) to reach millions, this has also created other inequalities.The inequality in question is that of the digital divide, which explains that the Global North is more technologically advanced compared to the Global South, which has a slow uptake/absorption of technology. Not everyone has equal access to digital technologies, and citizen journalism can inadvertently exclude large segments of the population, particularly in rural areas. Those who lack access to mobile phones, the internet or social media platforms may be less informed or exposed to one-sided narratives.- Due to limited space in the print edition, this piece has been slightly shortened.*Kabo Ramasia is a senior journalist, Media Institute of Southern Africa (Botswana) chapter board member, and media scholar.

The rise of citizen journalism in the Web 2.0 era

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-15

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The rise of citizen journalism in the Web 2.0 era

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-15

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