Introduction: A Changing Battlefield of News
In our hyper-connected world, it is no longer necessary to wait until the evening news or the morning paper to see the latest in breaking news. A viral video posted through a smartphone can be shared by millions of people before a professional journalist steps in the scene. Ordinary citizens have become their own frontline reporters, recording history as it happens, whether war zones or street protests.
For instance, in a busy street corner, a demonstration goes on. Smartphones are already transmitting mayhem to millions of people worldwide before television crews can even reach the scene. The unfiltered image of a passerby spreads a minute or two, influencing the world before even a newsroom headline is typed. This case explains why there is a dramatic change in the creation, consumption, and contesting of news in the digital era.
Over decades, traditional journalists were regarded as the gatekeepers of the truth, who can choose which stories should be paid attention to by the masses. Their refined reports were endowed with the power of truth checking, editorial control and professionalism.
However, currently, with the advance of technology, citizen journalism has broken that monopoly, whereby, ordinary individuals can report instant stories. The question that this change poses is very critical, Who narrates the story better, citizens with unfiltered, uncooked events capturing them as they occur, or the professional journalists with their narratives supported by accuracy, accountability and context.
This paper goes into detail on the advantages and disadvantages of the two models. It delves into the immediacy and authenticity of the citizen journalism and compares it to the credibility and framework of the traditional newsrooms. Other than a competition, it also analyzes whether or not these two types of journalism can co-exist and supplement each other in influencing discourse of people.
The Rise of Citizen Journalism
Citizen journalism is when common people actively participate in gathering, reporting, analysing and sharing news. The use of social media like X (the former Twitter), Facebook, Tik Tok and YouTube have increased this trend at a faster pace because they provide every user with a broadcasting tool.
The Arab Spring (2010-2012), the protests in Nigeria during the end of SARS (2020) and the demonstrations of George Floyd in the United States (2020) showed how fast citizens can influence the discourse of the entire world.
Speed and authenticity are the winning factors. Citizen journalists can also post updates immediately or conduct live broadcasts, unlike professional journalists who are obliged to pass through the editorial process. This fast dissemination is able to capture the essence of the happenings before even mainstream media houses can be on-site.
Strength of Citizens Journalism
Immediacy and Accessibility
Citizen reporters have the first hand advantage. In the case of crisis, e.g. an earthquake, a shooting, or a political uprising, the professional journalists might not be allowed to gain access to restricted areas. Those already on the ground are able to send photos, videos and commentary that give the initial account of events that are happening.
Raw Authenticity
Citizen journalism is frequently unedited compared to refined productions of the newsroom. Such rawness is a touchpoint to the audience who demand openness and personal insights. Videos made by people, such as anti-protest videos, seem to be more real to the audience than a recap of the protests hours after.
Diversity of Perspectives
Citizen journalism gives a voice to those who would otherwise not be heard. Social media has served as a medium through which marginalized communities narrate their stories without the need to go through the gate keeping of the mainstream media. This news democratization will provide a wider range of stories.
Weaknesses of Citizen Journalism
Lack of Verification
The most significant argument against citizen journalism is the lack of fact-checking. Misinformation and rumors may propagate within minutes in a haste to post, which can occasionally result in panic or damage. This is because news or stories by citizens or ordinary individuals are reported on a go, through social media platforms.
Ethical Blind Spots
Professional journalists are subjected to codes of ethics that dictate how they report, including the protection of their sources or the privacy of their victims. Citizen journalists might, however, unwittingly compromise these principles when they release sensitive images or personal information. They just want to be fast than be accurate or truthful.
Fragmentation of News
Citizen reporting can be local and sporadic and therefore not contextual. A video of a confrontation, say, can go viral yet not reveal the background problems that led to the confrontation.
Traditional Newsrooms: Guardians of Standards
Editorial Oversight and Fact-Checking
The conventional media houses have well-organized hierarchies. Before any stories are published they are heavily edited, checked and fact checked. Although the process could slow down reporting, it increases reliability and credibility.
Accountability and Guidelines on Ethics
Professional journalists are guided by the standards set by some bodies like Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ). These principles put priority on truth, fairness, accuracy and minimization of harm. Newsrooms have accountability mechanisms, which are mostly lacking in citizen reporting, since mistakes they make are rectified or subject to public scrutiny.
Context and Depth
Other than news making, traditional journalism is the best at news analysis, background, and investigative texture. Professional reporters leverage sources such as archives, expert contacts, and editorial teams. This enables them to demystify difficult issues in ways that citizen journalists normally cannot.
Weaknesses of Traditional Newsrooms
Slower Response Time
Traditional outlets are usually slower at breaking news as the outlets undergo an editorial process to ensure accuracy. Citizen journalists can publish dozens of updates before a newsroom can verify a report.
Perceived Bias and Gatekeeping
Critics claim that mainstream media can be biased to represent the interests of the owners, the advertisers, or even the political affiliations. This perceived favouritism has pushed most individuals toward citizen journalism which seems much more grassroots and independent.
Declining Trust and Relevance
The emergence of digital platforms has undermined the readership of traditional news media. The younger generations, especially, are moving towards social media influencers and citizen reporters as a source of information and seeing the traditional media as obsolete.
Points of Convergence
Notwithstanding the difference, the purpose of both citizen and professional journalism is the same, to inform people. More and more citizen-generated content is being added to the traditional newsrooms. Professional outlets tend to verify viral videos or eyewitness photos and use them to support their coverage.
Using natural disasters as an example, citizen footage gives you real-time evidence during such events, and newsrooms put the content into context with professional commentary. Likewise, investigative journalists are frequently guided by the information provided by ordinary individuals who accidentally come across some newsworthy facts. This synergy shows that the two forms can co-exist and not be competing.
Case Studies: When Both Worlds Collide
The 2005 London Bombings
The videos and photos taken by citizens on underground trains were vital in the first reporting. Conventional sources were subsequently used to give background, official position and security briefs.
EndSARS in Nigeria
When protesters sent real-time videos and tweets to reveal the brutality of the police, the mainstream Nigerian and global media made the matter global, provided structure, interviews, and investigative depth. Without both, information wouldn’t have been raw and normal.
The COVID-19 Pandemic
Lockdown realities were captured by citizen reporters, data-driven analysis, scientific background, and policy reviews were delivered by professional journalists. The combination of these gave a more complete picture of a world crisis. People were able to take in all necessary information needed to survive in this period.
Can They Coexist?
Instead of querying who narrates the story better, perhaps it is more effective to query how the two methods can be used together to be complementary. Citizen journalism is immediate and inclusive, whereas traditional journalism is reliable and broad based. When put together, they form a multidimensional ecosystem of the media.
In order to enjoy this coexistence, professional journalists must accept the inputs of citizens without jeopardizing the verification standards. Similarly, media literacy and responsibility should be developed by citizens in sharing information.
Conclusion: A Hybrid Media Future
The issue on whether the story should be told by the citizen journalism or the traditional news-rooms is not a straightforward one. All of them have certain strengths and weaknesses. Citizen journalism is characterized by a sense of speed, grit, and multiplicity of voices, whereas professional journalism defends truth by means of verification, ethics, and context.
As a matter of fact, storytelling can only be sustainable through teamwork. The media environment is becoming more of a hybrid as technology continues to erase the distinction between a journalist and the audience. The citizens will keep giving first-hand accounts, and professional journalists will polish, dig, and put those stories into context.
Finally, the co-existence of the two models guarantees that society enjoys the advantages of rapid, heterogeneous, and precise information, generating a more enriched and democratic space of public discourse.
