Friday, May 11, 2012

Is citizen journalism going mainstream?

Once again the question of citizen journalism is being  addressed. Frankly, it's a subject that won't go away, especially as traditional media is peeling away staff, leaving itself unable to cover much of its former territory. At the same time, others in the broader community are flowing into the vacuum. Some of these newcomers actually follow good journalistic practices (and I would include some of the advocacy bloggers in this camp; if they seek out truth, it doesn't have to be balanced).

What's prompted today's musings is a column posted on streetfightmag.com titled "Citizen journalism: Ready for a rewrite." Columnist Tom Grubisich uses the hyperlocal university newspaper the Columbia Missourian to frame his argument that citizen journalism is entering a new phase, paired with traditional journalism. It's an interesting concept.