The most recent uprisings in the Middle East have brought citizen journalism back into the limelight, but bloggers and independent reporters have been breaking stories that major media outlets never could for some time. Janis Krums' iPhone snapshot of U.S. Airways Flight 1549 emergency landing on the Hudson River, George Allen's infamous "macaca" incident, or the continuing reports of protests from Syria in the face of violent oppression are just a few examples.
This new source of information fills a void left by a diminished traditional media corps. In some cases, the media have openly embraced citizen contributions, most notably CNN with its iReport features.
To help foster this new trend, several non-profits and social enterprises are actively working to improve the strength of that citizen media across the world.
Non-Profits Back Citizen Media
Citizen media is seen as a benefit to society and democratic principles. Many organizations are actively dedicating resources to improving citizen journalism, including the venture capital-backed AllVoices, three organizations (Global Voices, Internews and startup Small World News), and the U.S. State Department.
Internews, Small World News and the U.S. State Department provide various training programs, grants and technical resources to citizen journalists. For example, Small World News, which focuses on conflict and post-conflict situations, is in Benghazi training Libyans to report stories using video. Its team of citizen journalists has been so successful that it is now breaking footage that no mainstream media outlet has been able to capture.
"We believe it takes more than a citizen and a media creation device, such as a smartphone, camera, or video camera, to make an impact," said Brian Conley, director and cofounder of Small World News. "User generated content or 'citizen media' often lacks context and fails to tell a story. We believe by combining the ubiquity of media creation devices with training, it's becoming possible for nearly anyone to become not just a 'citizen journalist,' but a journalist in their own right."
AllVoices and Global Voices both seek to provide a platform for citizen journalists to be heard. Their communities represent voices from all over the world. Both organizations believe that providing a platform is as essential to citizen journalism as training.
"Cultivating readership of citizen media is probably just as important as cultivating citizen media itself," said Solana Larsen, managing editor of Global Voices. "People could be typing away in Egypt but if no one inside or outside the country were reading what they were saying or taking them seriously, it would have little effect."
The Citizen Watchdog
Some experts see citizen media as a sidekick to traditional journalism, covering stories that the media cannot get to or inaccurately reports. "We see it as very complementary — filling a void for other points of view, for events not covered and fostering engagement largely lacking in conventional media," said Aki Hashmi, general manager of AllVoices.
Others see it as a more intertwined relationship. Media theorist Stephen D. Cooper dubbed bloggers and citizen journalists the Fifth Estate, a play on the media's watchdog moniker of the Fourth Estate. Cooper believes that bloggers and other voices hold the media accountable when they misreport or completely drop news stories. However, as social media has evolved, the relationship has become much more complex.
"It’s not an either/or thing," said Jeanne Bourgault, president of Internews. "Journalists are using social media tools to integrate community-driven information into their newscasts and citizen journalists are learning the principles of accurate, fact-based journalism to use in their reports."
Global Voices' Solana Larson sees citizen journalism almost as an ombudsman to traditional media: "When media misreport, there is often a strong motivation to correct and improve. Many see themselves as watchdogs."
What is clear is that the two — traditional and citizen journalism — have become permanently intertwined. Whether it is reporting earthquake damage in outlying areas of Japan or leaking news out of autocratic Syria, citizen journalists have become a critical source for news in general.
The Global Picture for Citizen Journalism
