C
|
itizen journalists have a significant impact
on mainstream media in the age of the digital revolution. The web provides many
detrimental costs along with vital opportunities for the world of mainstream media,
starting now.
In my opinion,
the most important question that needs to be addressed is: Does Participatory Journalism – the process of collaboration and
conversation between media and the audience – ultimately help to create better
stories? On the one hand it provides a broader base of sources, who are
experts in a variety of subject matter. Scott Rosenburg mentions, “Individually these contributions may be
crude, untrustworthy, un-noteworthy. Collectively, they represent the largest
and most widely accessible pool of information…in human history”[1]
showing how mainstream media can reap the benefits of this resource when they
are an entire entity. However, this collaboration could result in the challenging
of mainstream media’s hegemony as they are challenging the notion of the
institutional press being the only privileged, trusted and informed provider of
the news. “Recent surveys suggest people
are beginning to place more trust in online sources and are seeking
increasingly diverse news sources and perspectives”[2]
implying that news sources on the net are getting a better reputation as
trustworthy news outlets, thus reducing the use of mainstream media. Clay Shirky also makes reference to the
role of mass media being undermined due to the idea that everyone is a media
outlet[3].
Ultimately,
with the digital generation of news consumers next in line it is them we must
consider. “Today’s kids expect their
media to offer a two-way street of communication”[4],
states Steve Outing, insinuating that the collaborative journalists are
going to influence them the most. The interaction showcased within citizen
journalism and digital media demonstrate a massive opportunity waiting to be
harnessed by mainstream media.
Overall, the
conflict between passive consumption of traditional media such as newspapers
versus the active consumption of new digital media is critical during the
digital revolution. Either way, the outcome is essentially the same from both
the angles of mainstream media and citizen journalists; working towards a more
informed and democratic citizenry.
[1] Scott Rosenberg
paraphrasing of Weinberger’s concepts in “The media titans still don’t get it,”
Salon.com, Aug. 13,
2002.http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2002/08/13/media_titans/ also see: David
Weinberger, Small Pieces Loosely Joined: A Unified Theory of the Web (Perseus
Publishing, March 2002).
[2] Pew Internet
& American Life Project, The Internet and the Iraq war: How online
Americans have used the Internet to learn war news, understand events, and promote
their views, April 1, 2003.
[3] Clay Shirky,
“RIP THE CONSUMER, 1900-1999,” published on his Web site, Shirky.com, May 2000.
http://www.shirky.com/writings/consumer.html
[4] Steve Outing.
“Newspapers: Don’t Blow it Again” Editor & Publisher Online, Feb.
13, 2002. http://www.editorandpublisher.com/Article/Newspapers-Don-t-Blow-It-Again
No comments:
Post a Comment