The Problems With Citizen Journalism
As college journalism programs are put on hold, and local newspapers shutter, the focus is shifting more to “citizen journalism” — partly thanks to big-shots like Elon Musk, who is promoting his social media platform as a place for these citizen journalists to make money. The concept of having “journalists” on the ground all over the world can be effective — it works for Vice magazine (even though I don’t think the print product exists anymore). However, there’s a difference between these citizen reporters and those writing for an actual publication with an editing process. When I started my relatively short journalism career in 2004, I had to adjust quickly to having someone (or a team) scrutinize my articles. In other words, when I wrote something I thought was balanced, it was torn to shreds by experienced editors. They explained why my piece wouldn’t work as is, which helped me learn.These editors had decades of experience in the news, and I soon learned their criticisms weren’t personal. They were merely trying to massage my writing to reveal less bias while questioning where I got my facts. This might’ve required me to call another source to offer a rebuttal on the info being presented or rewriting parts of the piece. I came to see this process as a help, not a hindrance. Having your work examined by an editor before publishing can save everyone some embarrassment. Not to mention, it also could help reporters avoid getting sued.
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