Altruistic Scholarship for Kayla

Dear Kayla,

I noticed that Dr. Burton already helped you out a bit, but I thought I could do some more for you, since you seem to have piqued my interest.  A lot of these articles look really informative. 

The Boundaries between Citizen Journalism and the "Real Thing."

Shifting Boundaries This article looks at the theoretical bounds of professional and amateur journalism and how they interact.

Citizen Journalism Just as Credible This is based on a study that found that students do not differentiate between professional and citizen journalism.

Enhancing Citizen Journalism This article argues that there are no differences between citizen journalism and professional news sources.

Whose News? Whose Values?   This study evaluates attitudes of readers and journalists towards traditional journalism standards.

Opportunities and Limits  This article uses a theoretical approach towards analyzing citizen journalism.

Citizen Journalism in other parts of the world:

Citizen Journalism in Nigeria This is an article about the pros and cons of emerging citizen journalism in a developing country.

I Can Do Better  This is based on surveys of professional journalists in various European countries.  The primary conclusion of this study was that journalists claim to act out of duty rather than the need for individual expression. 

Gatekeeping and Citizen Journalism this article is specifically about the Arab Spring

Reporting the Voices of the Voiceless  This article compares the history of non-mainstream news reporting during a miners' strike in the UK in 1984 to citizen journalism today. 

Thinking about citizen journalism has reminded me of something.   When I was in the fifth grade, there was a show on PBS called "Liberty's Kids."  The premise of the show was journalism during the American Revolution, or rather three kids who want to be news reporters that get an inside scoop on the people and events of that war.  At the end of every episode there was always a little tag that said something along the lines of   "You can be a journalist, too!  If you see news happening, report it!"  You can watch most of the episodes on You Tube if you like, and here is a link to the show's web site.  I think it might have something interesting to say about how certain parties want to present news and encourage news reporting, especially in media geared toward younger audiences.

Glad to be of Service,

Lizy