The Rise of Citizen Journalism

As the world evolves, and we live in a technological society, the rise of citizen journalism is remarkable. From capturing pictures on camera phones to telling the story, everyday people are able to create the news.
According to the Missouri Group, "citizen journalism or participatory journalism is a form of media in which citizens actively participate in gathering and writing information, often in the form of news."
So, what will become of the world of journalism in years to come if we welcome everyday people into our world, our career and our profession? Can anyone really become a journalist? I’ve never heard of citizen doctors, citizen lawyers or even citizen nurses, right?
“Citizen journalism at its best extends the eyes and ears of the reporter. In effect, anyone can become a journalist, reporting on what he or she sees. […] As the Internet evolved, that began to change. One reason it changed is that citizen journalism, journalism produced by non-journalists, began to flourish, challenging the dominance of traditional media in the process of disseminating news. Anyone, it seemed, could become a journalist or even a publisher,” (Missouri Group, 289-290).
Rem Rieder, editor and senior vice president of American Journalism Review at the University of Maryland in College Park, Md., in an interview said that citizen journalists are untrained substitutes.
"I think it is important to keep in mind what citizen journalism is and what it isn't," Rieder said. "It's a substitute for what journalists do. It's valuable for on the scene reporting. Citizen journalism is a nice addition to the mix as long as it is used properly."
On the other hand, Paul McLeary, staff writer at the Columbia Journalism Review at Columbia University in New York in an interview, said that in the future citizen journalists will need the resources if they want to venture into the world of journalism.
"It never really hurts to extend the field," said McLeary. "They can start blogs and Web sites, if the product is good. In the end, it's going to take someone who can do it full-time, someone who can move the story and break the story.”
To be sure, citizen journalists have been there for breaking news stories, for example, when the Minneapolis bridge collapsed and during other major events or tragedies when professional journalists had not arrived on the scene. OK, so we give them some credit where credit is due.
In the end, let’s watch and be on the look out for those non-journalists entering or field. I do agree, in the end it is going to take professional and trained journalists, someone who has the knowledge and skills to cover a major news story.
And leave non-journalists behind because they are amateurs, part-time and substitutes. Our profession.

--Janelle L. Plummer