Do you have an interest in the daily events that occur around you? If so, then Citizen Journalism might be of interest to you. Citizen Journalism is defined as:
Professor Rosen believes that citizens can simply use new technology to create and distribute their stories. Therefore, becoming a Citizen Journalist might not be as difficult as you imagine. Here are some insights and tips on becoming a citizen journalist.
Title: Chuck on the Scene
Photo Credit:Tony Webster
URL: http://flickr.com/photos/87296837@N00/2812942304
Licence: cc-by-2.0
It can be as simple as using a smartphone to tweet a story. Or if you have the resources and time to provide more details on an event you can write a blog post and share on multiple social media networks. You can also post your story on Youtube if you have captured a lot of footage at your event; or if you have taken a lot of photos you can upload them onto Flickr.
There are many other useful tools such as a laptop, digital camera, selfie stick and a range of software that journalists can use to tell a story. So, no need to become anxious about fact-checking or accuracy as there are many accessible, easy-to-use websites and online information that can assist with this part of the process. For instance, you can learn Basic Filming and Reporting Techniques through many easy to follow Youtube tutorials.
Title: Youtube
Photo Credit: Esther Vargas
URL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/esthervargasc/9935521594/
Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0
Citizen Journalism is a significant avenue because it provides an insider’s perspective of events. This type of journalism provides citizens with the opportunity to tell their truth, which are often times skewed by traditional media organisations. Historically, citizens have exposed political corruptions, police brutality and other topical issues through blogs posts and tweets.
The Arab Citizen Media website is a fantastic place to start learning more about citizen media. This site provides a number of resources that would help you develop skills in areas such as digital media literacy, citizen reporting, online verification and investigative journalism. So don’t miss the opportunity to have your say.