iReport a Solution
This entry was written in response to the Research Blogging Assignment for Stanford's Winter 2009 Technology & Identity class. To learn more about the assignment, visit this blog post. You can leave a comment on this post by clicking on the "comment" link below.
Journalism is defined by Merriam-Webster.com as: the collection and editing of news for presentation through the media; an academic study concerned with the collection and editing of news or the management of a news medium. Like many other terms, with the passage of time and the advances that come with technology, this definition is changing. Editing, management, and academic study are aspects of journalism that belong solely to the media. However, the collection and presentation portion of that definition has extended beyond the grasp of the “Newspaper Tycoons” of old to the camcorder-clad-suburban-American. This modern reporter has no training or experience, he just happens to be in the right place at the right time and have access to basic technology. He is known as the Citizen Journalist.
It seems to be a growing phenomenon, this Citizen Journalism. I wondered how it came about. Is it a solution to the problem of Journalism needing to catch up with the times, or is it a symptom of that problem? Is it something that is going to last, or a fad that will pass? So I began researching to discover some answers.
I came across a link to iReport.com, a site dedicated to the Citizen Journalist sponsored by CNN. People can browse through clips loaded by everyday people to stay informed; CNN even chooses (and vets) some stories to air on their broadcasts. You can explore tagged stories or sort by the latest, highest rated, most viewed, most commented, most shared, by those that have appeared on CNN or by iReporter, if you want to follow a particular person’s stories.
The most prominent part of the iReport homepage is the “Newsiest” section, which consists of stories chosen by a mathematical formula. Of course quality is still a highly valued commodity, so CNN created iReport’s Assignment Desk. This page provides a list of topics on which people can report. There is a brief synopsis of an issue and a link for a user-friendly way to upload your story. These topics range from issues as serious as the health care crisis to other more light-hearted assignments like sharing how you and your significant other met in honor of Valentine’s Day. There is also an iReport Toolkit with tips on how to “tell your story like a pro.”
Proof that the Journalism industry is undergoing a change came in a caption which stated that, looking at “all the contributions the iReport.com community of users make to the site - stories, comments, ratings, pageviews - and what CNN producers pick for their own stories could add up to tell us something new about what people think is newsworthy.” Suddenly newsmakers have a wealth of information at hand and no responsibility for content until it is chosen, analyzed, and labeled. It seems like the perfect solution and definitely has left me wondering what is in store for the future.
Comments
This is a very interesting topic Ronnie, good job.
Some things that bothered me though is that you use "I" quite often and I think you should limit it. There is a paragraph of you questioning how the concept of citizen journalism came about and it does seem useful using "I", but I think it can work out without using the pronoun as much.
Also, on the second to last paragraph, you said that the "newsiest" materials are chosen by a mathematical formula. I was interested in getting to know what kind of formula it was but you never explained it. I think explaining it more specifically would help understand it more!
The flow of the blog, however,is great. I liked how you started with the general definition of journalism, and then touch upon how journalism has/is changing constantly. I like how you end with the rise of citizen journalism.
the development of your argument is great--the evoluation of citizen journalism and how CNN is sponsoring it now. I would like for you to have more information regarding a report that made into CNN headlines after analysis and editing. I think two counter examples -- something that was newsworthy and something that wasn't-- would provide a great contrast and how realible or not citizen journalism is.
Also, you questioned how long this "citizen journalism" will last. how about researching if there was another account of citizen journalism before? Or, any other type of journalism that wasn't by specific professional journalists?
overall, good job! great!
Posted by: Beauram Hur | February 4, 2009 10:51 AM
I like how you introduced your topic starting with the definition of journalism. I wonder in what specific context the definition has changed though. Did it go from professional to a more personal level. It would be interesting to discover in how many separate aspects the definition has expanded and changed. Also, what simple technology could be used to report: cameras, video cams? I really like how you associated the industry as "newspaper tycoons" to bring it down to a more interactive level with the audience. This suggests that the ability to write news is not limited to those with "skills" in the occupation. It would be interesting to see if you can follow someone who continually does this iReport to see if citizens can get the skill level of a professional.
Posted by: Junichi Tsutsui | February 4, 2009 10:51 AM
The thing I really liked about your blog entry is the whole issue of the changing definition of journalism through technology. While newspaper tycoons ruled and controlled the media in the early days, the Internet has enabled citizen journalism to rise like never before. The topic is a very interesting one. The assignment desk of the cnn website was a very good idea on their part since it tells people about what they want from them, and at the same time the citizen journalism helps to show how the people view the news stories and topics. I never knew about this service, but I'll probably be looking into it more, now that I know. I think citizen journalism will continue to grow as long as technology continues to enable people to connect with the rest of the globe, whether it's youtube, blogging, or CNN's iReport.
Posted by: Kyle Barrett | February 4, 2009 03:09 PM
This is very interesting. I had only heard very little about iReport until now. Its like youtube for news videos. Something tells me that news companies can learn a lot from something like this. Just like you said, they can get a better grip on what most people consider news and then deliver it to them. I don't think this is going to change journalism forever in the sense that most people will stop watching actual news or reading papers and instead refer to privately created content. I don't think people are ready to trust each other to deliver unbiased and accurate news stories. But it do think that the more websites like iReport pop up, the better the news we get from the more reliable sources will be in terms of timeliness and focus.
Posted by: Nnamdi Amobi | February 8, 2009 02:29 PM
Nice and informative post, Thanks for sharing this with all of us...
Posted by: Acai | August 1, 2009 05:57 AM
I would like for you to have more information regarding a report that made into CNN headlines after analysis and editing. I think two counter examples -- something that was newsworthy and something that wasn't-- would provide a great contrast and how realible or not citizen journalism is.
Posted by: Resveratrol | August 1, 2009 09:52 AM
The topic is a very interesting one. The assignment desk of the cnn website was a very good idea on their part since it tells people about what they want from them, and at the same time the citizen journalism helps to show how the people view the news stories and topics.
Posted by: Colon Cleanse | August 1, 2009 09:54 AM