Professional journalists still hold power in directing public attention, writes Nikki Usher, of George Washington University. In her recent article, Usher elaborates a model of how embryonic citizen journalism is selected, vetted, and published by a journalistic organisation.

The five-step process may take two paths, one of either active or passive appropriation – depending on whether the citizen journalist knows his or her content is going to be used. Usher uses two cases of user generated content use in US media in order to illustrate the model: Vox.com reporting on the shooting of Michael Brown, and The New York Times‘ project on life as transgender.

The article “The Appropriation/Amplification Model of Citizen Journalism” was published by the journal Journalism Practice. It is available online (abstract free).

Picture: Untitled by kaboompics, licence CC0 1.0.