Rapid
technological developments have changed the landscape of media form from a
closed to a more open state. Openness in this context means this is the medium
where the freedom is given to all media to act as an informant. In every corner
of the world, there are issues or messages arise every single day. Nowadays,
people no longer have to wait for the television broadcast, listen to the
radio, or having to flip every page on newspapers in order to get an access to
the latest information as all can be done by a single click on the computer or
smartphone.
This
led to the emergence of newly found group called citizen journalist who
voluntarily contributing any information they possess to the public and openly
give out their “sincere” opinion on the issue which rather offensive at times. Along
with the existence of the latest gadgets, every move that you make can be recorded.
In addition to that, if you made a mistake and the recording is uploaded online,
you can become the core attention of public eyes. In the worst case scenario,
your behaviour gone viral and you’ll become the main character of the social
media hype. Being humiliated online is one thing, but you’ll eventually become
the victim of cyber-bullying by those keyboard warriors.
The
question here is whether the opinions and thoughts given by these citizen
journalists help in providing clearer perspective on the issues or the other
way round? Let me set an example from the last case of #MadsLendu which
happened in UiTM Alor Gajah, Malacca few months back. It was actually an event
conducted by their students to promote activities done by Art&Design
students of the university. It was held with a good course and intention to
unleash the students’ talents. However, a short video went viral where it seems
like the students were having a wild party as if they were in the club and even
accused under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
What
really happened was the short video was actually taken from part of the
performance by Art&Design’s students themselves. It’s just a normal
performance, however the angle of the footage and the accusation made by that
irresponsible citizen journalist managed to influence the other netizen to
spread the hates on the event. Just because of that short footage, the whole
good things of the event which was covered by the professional journalists had
been screened out. I wonder if this situation happened just because of these
citizen journalists wanted to compete against each other on who could come out
with the best and most controversy issues. By limiting the audiences’ knowledge
on particular issue without considering which parties will get hurt over these
kinds of slander and misunderstanding, is this a rational thing to do?
I’ll
leave this issue with a consideration that there might be both pros and cons in
it. Maybe we could at least know something from the both side of the news and
from that exposure we might be able to interpret it and could reduce the
confusion and see the situation as a whole instead of just one sided story.
Now, I’d like to hear your thoughts based on my story above.
I think citizen journalism brings more harm to the public instead of positive impact because it leads to a lot of misunderstanding. Yes, for me it is nice to hear opinions and thoughts from other people as it can reshape our view on certain issues but sometimes, it could influence people on creating hate among the netizen. For instance, relating to the famous recent viral video about a bride and groom to be called off their wedding due to insufficient amount of dowry. They fought in the mosque and the video went viral overnight. So many people come out with their opinions and views on that matters. However along with that, comes people who are cyber-bullying the bride. They spread her picture online with humiliating captions. There are also people who tried to compare this issue with their oh-so-called simple and low cost wedding. So many categories of people emerged just based on this incident. This is what I call the downside of citizen journalism. They created more issues than what actually happened. It is fine to share information, news, thoughts and opinions. But when it's starting to become offensive, humiliating and cyber-bullying, that is something that not acceptable.
ReplyDeleteMedia is one of the most important medium in its role as a channel of information to the public in terms of human rights, especially the mass media. The media not only act to provide information to the public but also serves as a medium for people to express something about government in our country. I think journalist bring pro and cons to society. If they spread false information to the public then it brings harmful to society. If they spread correct information to public then it does not bring a problem to society but they even can be a sources of information to public. Actually, this problem depend on responsibility of individual itself.They must practice the ethics of journalist and give good image to our country.
ReplyDeleteHi Ezza! first of all, I want to say that being a citizen journalist is not a wrongdoing. With them, we are offered with various types, angle, perceptions on a news. While, a so called trained journalist always limit their report, and sometimes do not write the whole story of an issue, due to some 'factors'. For me, those who are reading is actually the one who should determine whether to trust everything or not.
ReplyDeleteI agreed with Zulaikha, i don't think if a citizen journalism is a wrongdoing. Instead of it is a means for helping either government or public be aware of current surrounding news that perhaps the media could not get on time to witness the occurrence. We should be agreed if citizen journalism is not all bad. For instance, often times a person with a cell phone and access to social media or their blog, are on the scene of an accident or other event, allowing them to share the news sooner than a mainstream media outlet. Moreover, there are the travelogues. This is where I feel citizen journalism really shines, especially since most of the travel journalism is in the form of monthly publications (Brotherton, 2013). It is clear that citizen journalism is having good more than harm. It allows public to have a voice. However, as with anything in this world, it is the responsibility of the person reading the news to ensure that the author is actually knowledgeable, or just stating an opinion.
ReplyDeletehttp://lbcommuter.com/2013/10/07/citizen-journalism-good-bad/
by the emerge of citizen journalism, it help us a lot in order to grab any event or information that happen around us. we even can get the information while it still on going and nothing wrong with it but the information given is always from their perspective which sometime it lead to the misunderstanding for the reader. besides that, is that news accurate?. i agree with Fatin's comment by saying that citizen journalism bring harm instead of positive impact to the people outside there. we cannot deny, people always judge others based on their thought and even some thought is unlogic.
ReplyDeleteBeing citizen journalist is not something bad also not something good. As we know media is one of the important thing in our life and people cannot runaway for it. Yes there will be a true or not true story, it is depend on us. We are the one that have to choose to believe or not on a news because we are the reader. Actually being a citizen journalists make us get a various types, angle and perceptions on a news. However there will be a harm too like cyber-bullying and leads to a lot of misunderstanding because everyone can be a citizen journalists.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, If a citizen journalist who have a good quality to report something, for me that is good enough. Good quality for me is mean this people report something based on truth and tell something deeply, not only report with a 'skin', I would like to know how deep it is.
ReplyDeleteBut if a citizen journalist who doing this and report something totally fiction or who changed truth, Then this person don't have a good quality.
Pros and cons, sometimes we can't see who is talking the truth, so we have to thinking,we have to find truth, not just listen from others, whether they are professional journalist or citizen journalist.
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ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I must put my cognition
ReplyDeleteabout citizen journalist. This is a new group increasingly growing with the development of new media, they always have strong power to effect public opinion.
In the early time, Internet world start to formed. Many scholars had high hopes, they believe it will lead to an empowering effect, and make everyone become a "grassroots journalism", so as to promote the democratization process of the society. Sounds like great!
However, these optimists did not expect, the low threshold of citizen journalist may led to the network media become the area of "fake news" and "collective anger".
Just like the case you said, a promote activity done by Art&Design students. It is just a course in order to unleash the students’ talents at first. However, the short video be reported as an wicked news by citizen journalist. In my opinion, that is largely due to the citizen journalism is not professional, even if they can dig to the news in a short time, however, the purpose of news is not just inform and communication, more important is to guide. Therefore, the authenticity of news is very very important. Otherwise, it likely caused a great deal of harm to the people involved in this news. After all, the pressure of public opinion really too scary.
Sure everything got pro and cons, so do citizen journalism.
ReplyDeleteWe can't always get realiable from citizen, because most of what they reported must be biased since they wrote it with their point of view.
Yet, we can't always depends on mainstream media on fast delivered issues that happens now and we can't always be in front of television all of the time since we ae busy doing something.
Yet everything is depends to us. we should filter all of information that come and cautious on any information that come to us.
"People tend to believe what they wanted to hear and ignoring what they hated to hear."