Sumit Banik(Development Activist & Freelance Journalist)Program OfficerMAAPSI Bangladesh

Journalism/Journalism is the activity of gathering, assessing, creating, and presenting news and information. It is also the product of these activities.

:: ::

, , -

News/Information about recent events or happenings, especially as reported by means of newspapers, websites, radio, television, and other forms of media.

(http://www.thefreedictionary.com/news) , , News = N- North, E- East, W- West, S- South

:: :: , , , ,

:: ::

Citizen Journalism

Citizen Journalism The involvement of non-professionals in reporting news, especially in blogs and other websites

Tools of Citizen JournalismBlogging: An easy way to post text. Last post written is first read, so encourages frequent writing. Photo sharing: Photobucket, Flickr, Picassa. The descendant of the vacation slide show. Social Networking: MySpace, Facebook, etc. The big cocktail party in the sky. Virtual reality: Create an entire new world online. Second Life, Sony World. Open Source Journalism: Journalists mediate between the writer and the reader. You write it, we print it (after weve looked at it).

1. BloggingBlogging: An easy way to post text. Last post written is first read, so encourages frequent writing.

2. Photo Sharing Photo sharing: Photobucket, Flickr, Picassa. The descendant of the vacation slide show.

3. Social NetworkingSocial Networking: MySpace, Facebook, etc. The big cocktail party in the sky.

4. Virtual realityVirtual reality: Create an entire new world online. Second Life, Sony World.

5. Open Source JournalismOpen Source Journalism: Journalists mediate between the writer and the reader. You write it, we print it (after weve looked at it)..

Benefits of Citizen JournalismIncreased speed and access to informationTraditional media is limited by access to resources and time to communicate events to the public.Citizen Journalism greatly increases the range of sources for events and the speed with which they can be communicated.For instance, coverage of 2009 Iranian protesters by participants and observers where traditional media was prohibited in Iran.

Benefits of Citizen JournalismPersonal feedbackIt extends the belief that the experiences of people personally involved with an issue present a differentand often more completepicture of events than can be derived from the perspective of an outsider. (Educause Learning Initiative (2007))For example, Salam Paxs chronicles of the Iraq War

Benefits of Citizen JournalismImproved trust and interaction with local mediaResearch has shown that traditional news outlets believe that participation by readers improves the quality of the news, and such participation tends to increase the trust that the community has in the news and media.For example, CNNs I Report

Drawbacks of Citizen JournalismReduced Quality of ContentAmidst the diverse array of information and sources, discerning between important and trivial content becomes costly and time consuming.

Drawbacks of Citizen JournalismReduced ReliabilityMuch of the information gathered from citizen journalists may be false or partially inaccurate.While conscientious professional journalists are careful to separate supportable evidence from opinion or speculation, many citizen journalists have a weaker sense of what constitutes a reliable story.If the media relies too heavily upon citizen journalists for information, consumers may begin to distrust the media.

ConclusionCitizen journalism has become a powerful tool to unite the media and the public to produce quick, reliable, and detailed stories, which neither group could accomplish alone.This collaboration has begun to revolutionize the way in which we obtain information about current events.

ConclusionNevertheless, the rise of citizen journalism poses significant risks that could reduce the quality and reliability of information distributed to the public.As a result, citizen journalism will likely continue to influence and play a role in traditional media yet never fully replace it.

Bangladeshi Citizen Journalism Web portahttp://blog.bdnews24.comhttp://www.somewhereinblog.net http://www.nagorikkontho.org http://www.write3.com http://www.dw.com/bn

World wide Citizen Journalism Web portalLittera Report - global citizen journalism service that anyone can contribute toOpenGlobe - global news website that anyone can contribute tovisionOntv - globalviewsNeembus News: Your News - RedefinedDemotixThe Third Report (Worldwide - English Only)http://publishaletter.com/ Letters to the Editors worldwideAssociated ContentGlobal Voices OnlineAllvoices: The first open media website where anyone can report from anywhere.Blottr - The UKs leading citizen journalism global news websiteNewsPoint - The content syndication network from Blottr

Citizen Journalism

?