Citizen Journalism

Citizen journalism. So, what do I know about it?

Basically, I think the term 'citizen journalism' explains it all. The general public reporting on events, issues and topics that interest them. And by general public I mean those with no journalistic training or experience.

I think generally the idea behind citizen journalism, other than allowing people to share their opinions on current events, is that it provides a type of independent view of the news, not influenced by politics, or ratings. Therefore citizen journalists are more able to see the news from a different perspective than conventional journalists.
Also, citizen journalists can provide news to the world before it is reported by 'real' journalists. For example, if someone witnesses a major event or occurrence they can film it, write about it and upload it to their blog, before other news sources are even aware of it.

Citizen Journalism is found mainly online, in blogs, podcasts, videos and photos. Today, access to the internet equals power for the general public to showcase their opinions to be heard in a public forum.

Now, citizen journalism is being recognised as a valid form of news distribution. On television news and online news sites, the public is being encouraged to share their opinions, and send in or upload photos and videos of current events. These are just some examples of citizen journalism in practice.