Journalism is defined by dictionary.com as the collection, writing, editing, and presenting of news or news articles in newspapers and magazines, radio and television broadcasts. These reports are objective and usually done by professionals.

But now, a new form of journalism is emerging with the help of the Internet - citizen journalism. Citizen journalism as defined by dictionary.com as “the collection, analysis, reporting, or disseminating of news and information outside of traditional professional journalism organizations. Citizen journalism is done by ordinary people like you and me, without any training in professional journalism skills.

The Internet, Web 2.0, has given ordinary people the power to create, write and publish. What is written is usually based on events that they have experienced and seen. These reporting of events might be nonobjective as it could be written with the writers feelings in mind.

Internet will change the way journalism will be published and broadcasted. It will see a power shift from big corporate institutions to individuals like you and me. Big corporate institutions who broadcast news and media, have been traditionally, gatekeepers of news and information. Now with citizen journalism, information can be spread to the masses without any restrictions.

A video on Youtube by PodTech interviews some big shots in the Internet industry, Robert Scoble (ScobleShow), Marissa Mayer (Google VP), and Jeremiah Owyang (Web Strategist) on how Web 2.0 will change journalism. Here’s the video:

The video questions these 3 people on their views on how the Internet will shape journalism in the future. Scoble believes that Web 2.0 will make journalism more interactive and faster than what it is today. However, Mayer and Owyang believes that although journalism will come to the Internet, but traditional journalism on newspapers will stick around.

Here is another video on YouTube that supports citizen journalism. It’s by Leeds University in the United Kingdom together with BBC on citizen journalism.

A reporting on the floods in Sheffield, England by citizens of Sheffield help to augment the reporting done by the BBC. BBC supports citizen journalism as professional journalist cannot be at all places at any one single time due to time and resources constraint.

Citizen journalism is supported by the Web 2.0 technology - weblogs, v-logs (video logs), podcasting and so many more. This allows one to become a self-publisher, who can cover news from many areas and spectrum. As a self-publisher, one can filter out unwanted information that is shown on traditional media and focus on information that matters. Citizen journalism promotes democracy where more voices in journalism are welcomed rather than just one main voice.

Citizen journalism is here to stay. With Web 2.0 technology, this will assist in the growth and popularity of citizen journalism. Traditional journalism will have to cope with this growing trend and incorporate it into their way of business to ensure that they do not lose out to this trend.

References

journalism - Definitions from Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/journalism

citizen journalism - Definitions from Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/citizen%20journalism

YouTube - Leonard Witt and Citizen Journalism                     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qK7I96n61A4

YouTube - How Will Web 2.0 Change Journalism                http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIji8pdW-ow

YouTube - HFTV - Citizen Journalism                    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePNxpWzl8f4

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