Comments on: Does a series of Tweets really qualify as ‘citizen journalism’? http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/editors/2008/12/23/does-a-series-of-tweets-really-qualify-as-citizen-journalism/ Online journalism news Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:39:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Twitter and the citizen journalism argument (again) « Scribbles in my Notebook http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/editors/2008/12/23/does-a-series-of-tweets-really-qualify-as-citizen-journalism/comment-page-1/#comment-8816 Twitter and the citizen journalism argument (again) « Scribbles in my Notebook Tue, 23 Dec 2008 22:18:26 +0000 http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/editors/?p=6285#comment-8816 [...] Journalism.co.uk asks if those tweets should be considered citizen journalism or just glorified instant messages. Was he [...] [...] Journalism.co.uk asks if those tweets should be considered citizen journalism or just glorified instant messages. Was he [...]

]]> By: Scott Malthouse http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/editors/2008/12/23/does-a-series-of-tweets-really-qualify-as-citizen-journalism/comment-page-1/#comment-8797 Scott Malthouse Tue, 23 Dec 2008 12:51:49 +0000 http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/editors/?p=6285#comment-8797 It's difficult to decide a line between a witness who publishes an account of an event publicly and a journalist. Surely it is journalism in some way, but with no attempt to analyze the situation in an objective and truthful way. It's likely that tweets and blog posts may be spawned from rumour (obviously not in the case of the plane crash) so this can't be classed as journalism. That's as much journalism as a couple of elderly ladies gossiping on a park bench. Citizen journalism can however get somewhere where journalists might not be able to. This makes them an invaluable source to build up on a news story, rather than just treating the eye-witness account as a story. In the end it's up to professional journalists to take a citizen story and follow it up to make it objective. It’s difficult to decide a line between a witness who publishes an account of an event publicly and a journalist. Surely it is journalism in some way, but with no attempt to analyze the situation in an objective and truthful way. It’s likely that tweets and blog posts may be spawned from rumour (obviously not in the case of the plane crash) so this can’t be classed as journalism. That’s as much journalism as a couple of elderly ladies gossiping on a park bench.
Citizen journalism can however get somewhere where journalists might not be able to. This makes them an invaluable source to build up on a news story, rather than just treating the eye-witness account as a story. In the end it’s up to professional journalists to take a citizen story and follow it up to make it objective.

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