Citizen Journalism - Media Magazine December 2009 Is Reality becoming more real ?

Examples: 

• Once, it was all quite simple…the big institutions created the news and broadcast it to a variously passive and receptive audience. Now new technologies mean that the audience are no longer passive receivers of news. The audience have become ‘users’ and the users have become publishers. Audiences now create their own content. We are in the era of user generated content (UGC) where the old divide between institution and audience is being eroded.
• Key to this change has been the development of new technologies such as video phones and the growth of the internet and user-dominated sites
• As technology improved over the years, incidents of this kind have become more and more common. Millions of people have constant access to filming capability through their mobiles, and footage can be uploaded and rapidly distributed on the internet.
• Gulf War, 9/11, Rodney King, Tsunami, 2005 London Bombings, Mumbai Bombings.

Theory:

• The theory involved in reality becoming more real is Baudrillaud's proposed theory of hyperreality. The theory is a term used in semiotics and post-modernism philosophy to describe an inability of consciousness to distinguish reality from a stimulation of reality, especially in technologically ordained post-modern society. 

Benefits to institutions:

• Institutions are able to get access to news via journalists easier, it detracts the risk involved in filming from journalists, it also saves institutions money due to the fact that they do not have to pay to send out news reporters in different countries as soon as something happens as now a days, a lot of video footage is sent in to the these news institutions. Events such as the Tsunami and bombings could be seen as a risk to news reporters, even though it is there job, there is still a high risk involved, but with footage of the Tsunami being sent in, it saved many journalists from filming on the scene as it happened.  With less journalists they also save money, vital benefit to the institution.

Benefits to audience:

• Audience members are now able to get 'real' news, the examples of major events such as the London, Mumbai bombings and also 9/11, how these were shown on the news was seen as an actual benefit to the audience, due to the fact that they got real news, by real news meaning that they got footage that was live from the scene and people saw what happened at the exact moment rather than seeing the aftermath of the event, so the benefits to the audience is that they get real news rather than the aftermath's first. 

Wider issues and debates: 

• Quality of footage will decrease, furthermore, due to the fact that the footage may not go through the gatekeeper, the footage could be imbalanced. This could potentially be bad for the media institutions due to the fact that the footage could be shown straight away rather than being checked due to the demand of the audience and the competition with other institutions.

SHEP:

• Social - Things such as the riots caused social unrest in society, the fact that the news reported that the riots are spreading resulted in the riots spreading. Thus causing social unrest in society.
• Historical - Rodney King, the attack on Rodney King was filmed causing the police officers to go into court, even though they were acquitted, it showed how new and digital media can have an impact of Law
• Economical - Benefits to institution, due to the fact that they are being sent in footage, they are able to get rid of normal journalists as they do not need most of them, they are sent in footage by citizen journalists instead. 

1) What is meant by the term ‘citizen journalist’?

The term 'citizen journalist' is given to members of the public who record an event or take pictures of an event and send it into the institutions, the only difference between a normal journalist and one given the term 'citizen journalist' is in the name itself, they are usually citizens. 

2) What was one of the first examples of news being generated by ‘ordinary people’?

One of the first examples of news being generated by 'ordinary people' was the video recorded of Rodney King being chased by the police and being beaten by police officers, since this we saw recordings of The Gulf War, 9/11 and other major events.

 
3) List some of the formats for participation that are now offered by news organisations.

Most news organisations include formats for participation: message boards, chat rooms, Q&A, polls, have your says, and blogs with comments enabled.

4) What is one of the main differences between professionally shot footage and that taken first-hand (UGC)?

One of the main differences between professionally shot footage and that taken first - hand is the quality of the footage, due to the fact that most people will be sending in videos recording via mobile phones, the footage will unlikely by full HD and as clear as it would had it been professionally shot. 

5) What is a gatekeeper?

Gatekeepers are usually known as editors who view the footage sent in and make sure that it is suitable to be shown on live television, they are also the ones who control what goes on broadcast for the institutions. 

6) How has the role of a gatekeeper changed?

The Role of the gatekeeper changed in the way that due to people sending in footage. the gatekeepers may have to put on footage without viewing it first. 

7) What is one of the primary concerns held by journalists over the rise of UGC?

The primary concern that could be held by journalists over the rise of UGC could be the fact that they could be without a job pretty soon, due to the fact that most user generated content would not be paid for and institutions would receive content for free.