They would not sit at the dentist and a root canal done by a citizen dentist.
They would not be subject to a gall bladder operation by a citizen surgeon.
But read the newspaper of the future in print or online or both, at least it's possible, you need to read stories of citizen journalists ... like it or not.
The reason is simple. Newspapers across America have become so decimated by job cuts, that citizen journalists ... we call them CJs ... must stepto the gap in the coverage of news in print and on the website when filling the gap to fill.
"The newspapers will be those that most of the benefits of the online world to survive," said Derek Clark, who runs the GeekPolitics site that comments on public affairs and media issues. "Citizen journalism can in many cases offering free content and the Internet offers the possibility to reach a much larger audience. The old media, to pool their resources with theAdvantages of the new media will flourish. The old media, in their old methods, as we try to hold things up. "
While the increase in CJs has caused a flood of excitement and discussion in the journalistic community was, there was a precursor for many years. Papers are always what they used to call "stringers" in treats such as high school basketball scores and news from smaller events, the paper is not the staff or with MAN Call / woman on the street answers to the abovequestion or a series of birth and wedding announcements. Via syndicates papers have also run features of nonjournalists as medical doctors with Q & A columns, or automotive mechanics with Q & A columns.
In a broader sense, this also fits into the American way of do-it-yourselfing ... you can do what you want, or at least trying to. So we have people painting the living room, Citizens Auto Oil Changers, citizens built the cabins in the woods, citizen-soldiers in times of war,Citizens just about everything.
In communications, the involvement of citizens is madness to an all-time high as people decide the fate of the candidates on "American Idol" ... Rate destinations on travel sites and people's homes for sale on real estate websites ... Become part of an assemblage of amateur restaurant critic in the popular Zagat guide, the professional, once all-powerful restaurant critic at a metro newspaper oust ... and especially in the largest masseditorial participation over the internet always with the creation of wiki encyclopedia, or Wikipedia.
The scope is broad. The next question for us is whether or not to supplement this harvest CJs, replace, regular reporter ... and whether their work can not process through regular employee or a consortium presentable.
And in the discussion of citizen journalists, we need to distinguish them from bloggers. Blogger produce opinions .. usually without a thought, research orpersonal knowledge of what they write about. CJs in the ideal sense would report stories with facts, they are removed, at an event or talking with knowledgeable sources.
On the positive side CJs can expand the basis for a paper to extend its reach.
"Will probably get some of the events of journalists, reported that citizens are not reported without them," said David Weaver, a journalism professor at Indiana University. Reporters can not be everywhere and can not have all the eventstakes place in their communities. In this sense, contributing citizen journalism to expand the types of events that are reported, too. "
On the other hand, it almost seems, the more trivial and mundane the topic, the better suited it for a CJ, and the more important it is less suitable.
Adam Stone is the editor of the Examiner Community newspapers in Putnam and Westchester Counties, NY ... only the type of publication, one would think, would be welcome CJs. But no.
"I do not knowthinking citizen journalism should dominate or even a minor role to play in the implementation of mainstream newspapers, "he says." I am sure that there is a place for them ... a valuable place ... in alternative media. I think it was the mainstream newspaper industry and the new formulas and editorial approach has been embraced, led to his downfall (though) I think contrary to what most believe in and outside the industry. "
Stone says the most important place for CJs in aconventional paper is what it has always ... "Letter to the editor section."
Indiana Professor Weaver citizen journalists should not even think the right word ... "Citizen communicators" would be better, because "without the training and education that most journalists, most citizens can not qualify as journalists." He thinks CJs, just CCS, "are best to reporting new events, and will probably not be very helpful for in-depth, analytical or investigative purposesReporting. "
Dr Kirsten Johnson, Assistant Professor, Department of Communications, Elizabethtown College, Pennsylvania, has several articles on citizen journalism and is currently being written on a book chapter on the topic.
"Local newspapers, citizens should not rely on journalists in order to" survive, "she says. "Most citizen journalists do not pay anything for their work and the motivation of a for-profit companies wanting to help continue to achieve gains. Citizens can not and should notso far as free labor. "
Here is a look at the three previous attempts by major metro papers with citizen journalism.
Washington Times - This scrappy paper that is barely hanging on in their battle with the larger and more prosperous, "Washington Post" has perhaps the nation, especially users of the print citizen journalism in large metropolitan areas. In April, it launched a full, side-issues strictly CJs in its local section six days a week. Monday is the theme of Science, Tuesday,District of Maryland and Virginia, Wednesday, DC, Thursday, local military bases, Friday, religious communities, and Sunday, charity and public service messages.
Hartford Courant - This paper calls his project iTowns and offers a well-designed site with a list of 73 cities in the area. Click on the city you want, and you are its messages with a section called Local iTowns ... Readers headlines submitted.
The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk - it was a failure. According to the PewProject for Excellence in Journalism's state of media report that started the paper called a citizen media effort co-pilot, who ran three times a week with community news in print and online. He even sent an editor to Spain to study similar projects there.
After a nine-month battle, the paper pulled the plug in March 2008. Pew editor Dennis Finlay quoted as saying: "Mostly, we have discovered, it is not the savior we thought. It was very hard to get reader-produced qualityContent. "What is the general base of readers," said Finlay, "no one cared when we get rid of. "
To do a good job with CJs, a paper would have to 1) find them, 2) give it to assess the training or to their initial efforts, 3) get free stuff to do it if need the paper, and 4) to work they do. It might cost money to achieve all this. But not all spending money is the reason why some writers are in love with the idea of CJs.
Some thoughts ...
IT CAN BE DONE. TheWashington Times and Hartford Courant show it can be. Like everything else would be a paper must have at least a little effort and dedicate staff to make the time to monitor the CJs.
"The newspapers would regularly hold seminars citizen journalism direct from the newspaper that has a monthly focus on newsgathering techniques and media ethics," said Larry Atkins, associate professor of journalism at Arcadia University, English, communication and theater department. "They could be extended beyond a podcastor video presentation on the website of the reporting provide tips and ethical advice. Do you have a newspaper staff regularly citizen journalism as a newspaper message board submissions to bias an eye for the content that appears might be, are dishonest, false, defamatory or otherwise objectionable. "
When newspapers use their imagination, there is no limit to the interesting, informative material that they could add.
LEARNING FROM TV. We'll come back to Professor Atkins: "LocalNewspapers could take advantage of citizen journalism as much as have the ways in which cable television outlets such as CNN I used reports. Newspapers could encourage citizen journalists to send the photos and report first hand to write about their experiences in the observation of a press release. For example, to people who have a local 4th July Loveparade photos, videos, and send a written comment will be posted on the newspaper website. If there is more than 50 local 4th July parades in a metropolitan area, aReporters can not all of them. Through the citizen journalism I-Reports, a newspaper could be for information on most if not all, of the parades. "
In short, he says, "citizen journalism can help you survive the local papers, by an interactive product. Readers who post comments, articles and photos on the website of their local newspaper site might offer a stronger link to read the paper and feel rather the printed version of the online version of the paper. "
HAVE THERight attitude. Instead of looking at CJs as a necessary evil or even as a burden, why not have papers, you could see it in a positive light and help to more qualified and experienced? Why not tap into experts in the community, and create a number of journalists, the citizens are governed?
For example, many works are used to make a medical writer, have to do stories that on special and nothing else. The path is the path of do-do bird. Instead, develop, why not a particular medical issue andOpinion asking health workers in the region, perhaps through the work of the local medical association? In this way, they would 1) provide material experts from more than she could, and 2) would not be in the kind of people who normally get to participate in the journalistic process.
Or try a summary of comments on a legal topic by the local bar association or an architectural theme of architects, interior designers design a theme, and so on.
ManyExperts are pleased to communicate with the public and shall strive to seek new forms of order online.
Make them credible. Reported with citizen journalism, "it makes you think, how we to judge these people?" Says Peter Shankman, a speaker, author and consultant, futurist running the e-mail notification for a Reporter Out hotline assistance.
As an employee writer is a reporter in essence, the paper is certified by qualified and trustworthy. How can you with CJs?
Shankman'sAnswer: through a rating system. Like users to build the quality of assessments eBay sellers and restaurants in the online reviews when it might be a normal part of the current paper with stories of a crew of CJs readers evaluate the stories and the writers themselves, giving them an incentive to do their best.
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