The traditional concept of a journalist is undergoing a radical change. The emergence of new technology such as Web 2.0, has allowed for a more participatory form of journalism. Citizen Journalism, as it is now called, has opened up the information world and everyone is having a say in it.
Take the 2002 Asian Tsunami for instance. When the tsunami hit Asia in 2004, tourists readily began capturing footages of tidal waves and the after effects on their mobile and cameras (Schaffer 2005).
Take the 2002 Asian Tsunami for instance. When the tsunami hit Asia in 2004, tourists readily began capturing footages of tidal waves and the after effects on their mobile and cameras (Schaffer 2005).
(Source: SusanMernit.com 2005)
The inhospitable condition of the aftermath of the tsunami prevented mainstream media journalists from entering the disaster struck area. The breadth of citizen coverage made the publics’ material invaluable in documenting the disaster over a large geographical area (Outing 2005).
Apart from that, blogs of eyewitness’ accounts sprang up, providing first hand description of the situation to readers. At this time, there were only a few mainstream news organizations that grabbed the prospect citizen journalism presented.
(Source: TsunamiUpdates 2005)
Here we can see how new forms of media publishing is changing our perspectives of news coverage.
Reference:
Outing, S 2005, Taking Tsunami Coverage into Their Own Hands, Poynter Online, viewed 11 June 2008, <http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=76520>.
Schaffer, J 2005, ‘Citizens Media: Has It Reached a Tipping Point’, Nieman Reports, vol. 59, no. 4, pp. 24 – 26.
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