MDIA5003 online and mobile media Citizen journalism in a mass-communication era

Sophie Li (Wei Li)Z3387727

On 7th July, Thursday, 2005, four suicide bombers struck in central London, killing 52 people and injuring more than 770.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuhBdHc8Nqs

At the same time

Among the first to break the news Created BBC’s reporters’ log: London explosion Created BBC London explosion: your accounts site

Gathered insights from readers and bloggers Opened news blogs for readers to post stories

Phonecam snapshot uploaded to moblog.co.uk and www.flickr.com Photos were tagged by words like ‘explosion’, ‘bombs’ and

‘London’ to make them more relevant on Flickr

Landmark effect Before London bomb attack, citizen

journalism was an idea, after London, it had arrived. (Rob O'Neill, The Age, July 11 2005)

A considerable number of the most newsworthy images were taken by Londoners who happened to be in the wrong place at the right time.

Mass self-communication What it is?- The convergence of the horizontal networks of

interactive communication between citizens and mass media, which is made possible by the diffusion of the Internet, mobile and digital media.

What’s about it?- Network of ordinary digital citizens - User-generated content(UGC), self-directed emission,

self-selected reception- Interactive space for plural perspectives- Local sources and its international engagement

Citizen journalism what it is ?- spontaneous actions of ordinary people who

are compelled to adopt the role of journalists

What is about it?- inside-out, bottom up- Bear witness, counter-discourse to

mainstream media or fact-check- Restricted to online news and mostly used as

a complementary source

Discussion Pros:

1. People’s platform and real-time dialogue 2. Instant newsgathering 3. Personalized dimensions4. Connectivity and public empowerment 5. New stage of the oldest struggle in humankinds – the struggle to free our minds.

Cons:1. Authenticity, objectivity and quality of amateur materials2. ‘SNAPARAZZI’ and its moral concernsDefinition: Citizen journalists (passers-by) who are witness to a newsworthy event and capture it as a photograph or on video. ‘We have moved well beyond Andy Warhol’s prediction … On the web, everyone can be famous for 15 people – or to 500,000.’

‘We have entered an era in which the most sought-after attribute a person can possess is broad appeal, which encourages some people to go to extraordinary lengths to attract the public spotlight. ’ - THE BIG MO

Activity Which one of the citizen journalism websites have you visited

before?1. CNN Ireport2. WIKINEWS3. NOWPUBLIC 4. Reporters without borders

Please browse ANY OF THE TWO citizen journalism websites and make comparisons in terms of: Interactivity user-friendliness multimedia self-regulation policy focused areas

Censorship tells the wrong story

THE VOICE CAMPAIGN: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mx48zKeJxlQ&feature=player_embedded

Reference Allan, S. (2007). "Citizen Journalism and the Rise of “Mass Self-Communication”: Reporting

the London Bombings." Global Media Journal(1).

Stuart Allan*a, P. S. a. C. C. (2007). "Bearing witness: citizen journalism and human rights issues." Globalisation, Societies and Education 5(3): 373-389.

YouTube (2007). "7/7 London bomb terrorist attack on bus." from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuhBdHc8Nqs.

BBC (2005). "BBC NEWS: Have you say - London Explosion: Your accounts." from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/4659237.stm.

BBC (2005). "BBC NEWS: Reporters' Log: London explosions." from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4659511.stm.

Flickr (2005). "London Bombing." from www.flickr.com.

Roeder, M. (2010). The Big Mo - Why Momentum Now Rules Our World. Sydney, HarperCollinsPublishers Australia Pty Limited