Here is a blog post from the Dallas Morning News about citizen journalism as the writer tries to distinguish the difference. Here are her three points. The link is below for more the entire post.
Journalism is hours on the phone nailing down the facts or pleading for the interview.
Journalism is obsessing over nit-picky questions of fairness and context.
Journalism is trying to get the story and get it right.
2 comments:
The author mentions the ACORN story, and gives credit to citizen journalism. However, she then points out the 3 things you listed above. Well...if journalists always try to get the story right and obsess over fairness and context, no one would ever think to question "real journalists" and their work. However, citizen journalism has in its short existence has more than once put "real journalism" in the spotlight for inaccurate reporting.
This morning during our interview with Professor Alves he made a very interesting point that I'd like to share: he said that citizen journalist or professional journalist, you must build credibility regardless. It doesn't matter if you are a network or just a person with a laptop...people will start to trust you and believe in your credibility when you have something to back it up with.
It's like in the movie Shattered Glass, the main character was writing fictitious stories and he was pegged a "professional journalist" working for a newspaper...bottom line, professional or citizen, you must have a track record to be considered credible.
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