An abundance of recording devices and channels to publish information, massive distrust in the mainstream media, an increased desire for transparency and scrutiny in politics and elections following the debacle of Florida in 2000: this year created the perfect storm for a breakthrough in citizen journalism. (Apparently, it’s being defined as “journalism by people who aren’t getting paid.” Which is not much different than “journalism by professional journalists.”) But unlike the music industry, which is fighting tooth and nail to protect its revenue streams by suing downloaders and taking music videos off of YouTube, many mainstream media outlets are embracing the idea of citizen journalism as a means to invite amateurs into the conversation.
In February, CNN launched user-gen citizen news site i-Report, which was originally just a feature of their website. It’s being compared to YouTube for its ability to rate, discuss, and embed videos elsewhere. Yahoo and Reuters teamed up on You Witness News, BBC has Your News, and MSNBC has a section of their site that features citizen journalism, as well. MSNBC also owns citizen journalism site Newsvine. The Huffington Report has Off the Bus, which was credited for breaking Barack Obama’s “clinging to guns and religion” gate after one of its reporters uploaded the audio file onto the site. GroundReport lets users upload media, and pays them via Paypal at the end of each month based on incoming traffic. YouTube recently launched Citizen News and hired a News Manager, who will be sifting through the videos and highlighting a select few. Even one of Buenos Aires’ top dailies, La Nacion, has its own built-in site, Soy Corresponsal.
My point? It’s big.
Consensus says that the new wave of internet-based programs, Web3.0, is going to create filters for the glut of information that Web2.0 created; these sites and programs are clear evidence of that. But are they ways to empower citizens, or just a means to invite people to create free content? How will the editors decide, and how will they be able to tell who’s telling a story because of personal interest? And what will the uneasy marriage of mainstream media and grassroots activism look like?
Will this be a way to cut through the noise, or just another layer of it?
One thing that comes to mind is the public’s widespread lack of trust regarding the mainstream media. As we all know from the most recent example of former White House press secretary Scott McClellan, calculated agendas lurk behind the words of institutions we really want to believe. By contrast, citizen journalism’s naiveté can carry an adorable glut of transparency. But will we still believe it when corporations are still deciding which stories get told?
