Should citizen journalists be a part of media organizations?

Citizen journalists have become regular contributors to mainstream news, providing information and some of today’s most iconic images, especially where professional journalists have limited access or none at all. While some call this opportunity as an improvement in journalism, others fear that too much importance is being given to such personal accounts — undermining ethical standards and, eventually, professional journalism.

Shayne Bowman and Chris Willis describe it as “the act of a citizen, or group of citizens, playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information”. In practice, this can range from commenting on an existing news piece to publishing an article, podcast, photo or video on a personal blog or Twitter for that matter.

A dedicated citizen journalism portal such as YouTube, or other interactive portals that work as extensions to mainstream media allow readers to share the story as they find fit — but that is being done on a separate tab and not mixed up with the regular flow of news. On sites like CNN, editorial gate keeping is left to the audience, uploaded content will be published unedited as long as it is considered news (as distinct from advertising, for example) and respects principles of taste and decency.

Citizen journalists tend to bring themselves into the story; many see themselves as citizen activists. Some happen to be at the ‘wrong place at the right time’, such as the people caught up in October 26 earthquake, who emailed their personal accounts, pictures and videos taken with their mobile phones to mainstream media: Geo News and Dawn, for example.

“For citizen journalists; journalism is not their prime occupation, and only a few get paid for their efforts,”explains Hasan Ansari, a reporter associated with The Express Tribune. “In contrast to traditional journalism, which brought news as a completed product to its audience in a vertical way, citizen journalism is a more horizontal and conversational sharing of news, which is always unfinished,” he adds.

Today, technological advancements in the communication sector are playing a vital role in promoting citizen journalism. A tablet or a mobile phone which possesses internet compatibility; broadband, if possible, to upload pictures and videos, is being widely used by people for the purpose of storytelling in a unique yet interesting ways. Popular social pages “Humans of New York” and “Humans of Karachi” are a few good examples.

Moreover, setting up a personal blog in today’s digital age is arguably the easiest thing to do in the world. With its power, pictures and videos can be uploaded to specialized portals within minutes. Mainstream media should also consider making citizen journalism as a part of their organizations because a designated battalion of reporters can’t possibly go everywhere and cover everything, but with the help of citizen journalists, maximum and diverse coverage could be ensured.