Citizen journalism
Ordinary people collect, report, and analyze news outside mainstream media.
Citizen journalism, also known as collaborative media, participatory journalism, democratic journalism, guerrilla journalism, grassroots journalism, or street journalism, is based upon members of the community playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing, and disseminating news and information. It functions outside mainstream media institutions, often as a response to shortcomings in the professional journalistic field, and relies on alternative sources of legitimacy. The underlying principle is that ordinary people, not professional journalists, can be the main creators and distributors of news.
- field
- Journalism, alternative media
- key_definers
- Courtney C. Radsch, Jay Rosen, Seungahn Nah, Deborah S. Chung
- related_concepts
- Citizen media, user-generated content, community journalism, civic journalism, collaborative journalism, social journalism
- criticisms
- Unregulated, amateur, haphazard in quality and coverage; lacks resources and focus on serving the public
Lore & Background
Citizen journalism was made more feasible by the development of various online internet platforms, including social networking and media-sharing websites, as well as the increasing prevalence of cellular telephones. These advances have made citizen journalism more accessible to people worldwide and have started to have a profound political impact. Citizens often can report breaking news more quickly than traditional media reporters.
Reader's Guide
Citizen journalism presents a radical challenge to the professionalized and institutionalized practices of mainstream media. According to Flew, three elements critical to its rise are open publishing, collaborative editing, and distributed content. The literature of citizen, alternative, and participatory journalism is most often situated in a democratic context and theorized as a response to corporate news media dominated by an economic logic. Some scholars have sought to extend its study beyond the developed Western world, noting that throughout the Arab world, citizen journalists have emerged as the vanguard of new social movements dedicated to promoting human rights and democratic values. However, citizen journalism is yet to develop a conceptual framework and guiding principles, and can be heavily opinionated and subjective, making it more supplemental than primary in forming public opinion. Critics, including professional journalists and news organizations, claim it is unregulated, amateur, and haphazard in quality and coverage, and that citizen journalists lack resources and focus on how best to serve the public.
Did You Know?
- Courtney C. Radsch defines citizen journalism as an alternative and activist form of news gathering that functions outside mainstream media institutions.
- Jay Rosen defined it as 'When the people formerly known as the audience employ the press tools they have in their possession to inform one another.'
- Citizen journalism should not be confused with community journalism, civic journalism, collaborative journalism, or social journalism.
- A research team of citizen journalists created an OER library containing video interviews to provide access to reliable sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Citizen journalism?
Citizen journalism is a news-making approach in which everyday community members collect, report, analyze, and distribute information independently of traditional media institutions. It goes by several names, including collaborative media, participatory journalism, guerrilla journalism, and grassroots journalism.
Who are the key figures associated with defining Citizen journalism?
Jay Rosen, Courtney C. Radsch, Seungahn Nah, and Deborah S. Chung are among the most cited scholars and practitioners who have shaped the field's theoretical and practical framework. Their work centers the idea that non-professional individuals can serve as the main creators of news rather than merely its subjects.
Why is Citizen journalism considered important to the media landscape?
It disrupts the gatekeeping role of professional outlets by giving communities direct control over how stories are gathered and told. It frequently emerges as a corrective response to perceived gaps, biases, or failures in mainstream coverage, relying on alternative sources of legitimacy rather than institutional credentials.
What are the main criticisms leveled at Citizen journalism?
Critics argue that the absence of editorial oversight, structured fact-checking, and institutional accountability makes the output vulnerable to inaccuracy and misinformation. Because it operates largely unregulated, questions about source reliability and the spread of unverified claims remain persistent concerns.
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