Citizen Journalism: A friend or a foe?
Paul Lewis, a renowned journalist, talked about Citizen Journalism on Ted Talk, and I was able to gather some key points and realizations from his speech:
1. Citizen Journalism plays a crucial role in our society today
With technological advancements, citizens are not just consumers of news but can also be producers of news. As citizens, we now have a role that enables us to contribute primary information to media. Since the internet and social media are almost easily accessible, citizens can easily collect, record, hold pieces of evidence, and share information online and easier for people and journalists to obtain various information almost always on the spot.
2. Citizen Journalism is not a threat
Journalists are not always present at a certain event; they do not know everything. That is why this kind of journalism is not a threat but more of a friend and a helping tool. Ordinary people can be the eyes and ears of journalists who are not present during a particular situation. However, although citizens have the power to share information online, they are not professionals in the field and are not adequately trained, unlike journalists. In that case, if journalists acquire information from a citizen, they must verify and get the facts straight before publishing an article or reporting it to avoid misinformation and disinformation.
3. With the power of sharing information, comes great responsibility
Anyone can share almost everything online; hence, citizens should be wary and responsible with what they post. People hold power that can either make or break our society by sharing information, so we must be shrewd enough with what we post and prepare for any consequences of our actions. Citizens ought to know that Citizen Journalism also entails accountability.
Lewis emphasized that Citizen Journalism is a beneficial and powerful tool to have, as it enables ordinary people to participate and engage in the latest happenings around them. This kind of journalism can also provide different information that can be useful in an investigation.
