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ARTICLE: Local US TV stations embrace user generated content

A vast majority of news directors at local, American television stations view user generated content (UGC) favourably, write Rita Colistra and Eva Buchman, both of University of West Virginia, with Kevin Duvall, an independent scholar. The authors surveyed a total of 59 news directors over their thoughts on UGC and their stations’ UGC policies. Most … Continued

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Published: 7 Nov 2016

ARTICLE: Reciprocal journalism on social media

Study by Jacob Groshek, of Boston University and Edson Tandoc, of Nanyang Technological University, analyzed Twitter activity around the Grand Jury decision in the death of Michael Brown in Missouri. The authors analysed over 4.2 million Tweets about the protests. The study found that legacy journalists had a great number of followers, but based on activity on Twitter, … Continued

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Published: 4 Oct 2016

ARTICLE: Journalism training empowers the marginalized

Providing the marginalized with citizen journalism training can result in personal empowerement, write Ann Luce, Daniel Jackson, and Einar Thorsen, all of Bournemouth University. The authors arranged training courses for disabled and homeless people, and interviewed them over their experiences. A variety of reasons complicated the training. Notably, the trainees often had low self-esteem and … Continued

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Published: 22 Sep 2016

ARTICLE: Humanitarians turned citizen journalists

A new form of citizen journalism is emerging from “digital humanitarianism”, writes Wendy Norris, of University of Colorado Boulder. Norris investigated the operations of the volunteer-based Standby Task Force (SBTF) in relation to two humanitarian catastrophes. The SBTF is an organisation which collects, curates, and disseminates information which can help relief efforts and serve those … Continued

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Published: 20 Sep 2016

ARTICLE: Journalists must protect their sources

Being a journalist covering conflict in the twenty-first century means working in a competitive field with many challenges, some of which involve engaging with social media platforms and eyewitnesses to events. writes Lisette Johnston, of City University London. The study explores how journalists network, develop and safeguard relationships with citizen journalists and activists in Syria The interviews … Continued

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Published: 14 Sep 2016

ARTICLE: How citizen journalism comes to be

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 … Continued

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Published: 12 Sep 2016

ARTICLE: Educational backgrounds of citizen journalists

Are citizen journalists adequately trained for the production of “newsworthy” stories? ask Michal Kus, of University of Wroclaw Tobias Eberwein, of Alpen Adria University, Colin Porlezza, of University of Zürich, and Sergio Splendore, of University of Milan. The research demonstrates the educational backgrounds of citizen journalists. The study is founded on a multi-national analysis in six European countries and a bunch of … Continued

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Published: 7 Sep 2016

ARTICLE: Connective journalism amid civil war

Citizen journalists of the Syria-based Damascus Bureau are practicing what could be described as connective journalism, Yousuf Mohammad from the University of Oklahoma and Maureen Taylor from the University of Tennessee write. The authors interviewed five members of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) and three Syrian citizen journalists they helped to train. … Continued

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Published: 5 Sep 2016