The rise and rise of citizen journalism

08-04-2009

by Ralph Averbuch

Events at the G20 summit show that everyone can be a torch-bearer for truth.

The recent G20 riots in London provided further evidence, if any was needed, that a combination of the web, portable technology and citizen journalism is better able to feed us real time news of events as they unfold than even the most professional news teams on the ground. That’s simply because everyone with a mobile has the potential to instantly send texts, twitter messages, photos or even video a matter of moments after newsworthy events unfold. What better statement of its significance than the fact that a number of broadsheets are now resorting to the use of services such as Twitterfall, to track for key events occurring in real-time. But perhaps most interesting (and most challenging for governments keen to manage the media message) is that almost everyone can be a witness to these events. Take the tragic death of an innocent bystander at an alleged riot in the city of London, captured by this growing digital army of amateur newshounds. This isn't to suggest that this is somehow better than considered journalism and professional prose, but it highlights how the true facts are increasingly hard to hide from public gaze. Whatever the merits of citizen-led news-gathering, this has to be a good thing if it ensures that a true record of events is captured.

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