Defending Citizen Journalism

In the Web pages of Editor & Publisher, the trade journal for the newspaper industry, Steve Outing explains reality to a mostly hidebound business. Good advice.

Comments

[Walter E. Wallis, P.E.]

I remember years of frustration where my engineer knowledge of nuclear power rarely made the Murky Turkey letters but Jane Fonda and the rest of the Hollywood idiots got regular ink.
Sure would have been nice to have had a few more of those monsters a few years back, or a few years from now. Sure is nice not to have Luddite leftist gatekeepers.

[Owen]

I have concerns about citizen journalism, too -- but different from those who fear it will corrupt the journalism trade. I fear that the growing popularity of contrived PR blogging and of the "professional amateur" journalists bought and paid for by politicians or industries will ruin the credibility of citizen journalists!

[Peter]

I don't understand why "Citizen Journalists" should be held to a higher standard than either a regular Citizen or a Journalist? Either one can be bought and paid by any number of corporations and causes. With enough financial backing I could start up my own newspaper, and use it for whatever ideological purposes I want. As long as I can find a niche market to tap into I keep publishing. Look at your main stream media. Don't they often spout the philosophies of their corporate masters? Why shouldn't a blogger be allowed to go and get sponsorship, and if they're of mind to do so, spout the philosophy of their sponsor. There is just no such thing as a true independent with no axe to grind. Anyone who gets into the "news" business has a goal they're trying to reach. It gets reflected in the people they hire to research and author articles. And what they ultimately decide to print and who they accept as advertisers.