Citizen journalism and UGC (user-generated content)

Citizen journalism and UGC (user-generated content)

1) Read the article from Media Magazine: The Rise and Rise of UGC (Dec 2009). Use our Media Magazine archive, click on MM30 and go to page 55.

2) Create a blogpost where you make notes from the article under the following headings: 
LA police officers beating Rodney King with clubs and tasering him. The home video completed prime time news; produced riots. This wouldn't have occurred if the bystander wasn't there to record it- can still be watched to this day. 
Asian tsunami December 2004, much of the early recording was provided by citizen journalists also social networking sites deliver personal accounts on a international scale (after a few days). 
London bombings 2005, footage delivered by those caught up in the bombings was a first-hand view.

theory (audience reception etc.)
Blumler and Katz: 

Uses and gratifications theory, an aspect of this theory is the surveillance side of things as it educates the viewer and all audiences.

Audiences are no longer passive and receptive; the audience have become users and the users have become publishers

benefits to institutions

Multiple news co-operations use USG such as blog posts and its comments which enabled them to connected to social networking sites to help keep up with citizen journalism. They can appeal to a younger audience as they are more likely to agree with footage which is much less professional as well as having a sense of realism.

benefits to audience
Generally, audiences have a sense of power in the matter as they are the ones reacting to the citizen journalism  It allows them to see a different side to the story as the media may decide to filter out certain information but also they cannot have reporters everywhere. The use of citizen journalism allows news stories to reach a wider audience as anyone can take a video or picture and upload it on to the internet and it will go viral almost instantly depending on the subject matter. This is not always certain due to the multiple users on platforms.

wider issues and debates
sometimes the viral topics roaming around the internet are not relevant at al which why some people want them filtered off the web.

SHEP

3) What is meant by the term ‘citizen journalist’?
According to Google research it means "the collection, distribution and analysis of  news and journalism by the general public which is usually done at the time of an event." 

4) What was one of the first examples of news being generated by ‘ordinary people’?
LA police officers beat up Rodney King event

5) List some of the formats for participation that are now offered by news organisations.
Social media applications such as Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Snapchat ect.

6) What is one of the main differences between professionally shot footage and that taken first-hand (UGC)?

UGC is much more uncut and shaky as it a first-hand account of an event making it much more realistic than professionally shot footage

7) What is a gatekeeper?

Gatekeeper is an institution which information is filtered through to ensure it is appropriate before delivering it to an audience.

8) How has the role of a gatekeeper changed?
Due to the rise and popularity of citizen journalism, Gatekeeper associations cant really filter out many posts and shares made by the general public so they basically cannot check and maintain restrictions anymore.

9) What is one of the primary concerns held by journalists over the rise of UGC?
There is a common fear in the news and newspaper industry as in the future the quality for news broadcasts will be of poor quality since citizen journalism keeps on rising in terms of accessibility and availability.

10) Offer your own opinion (critical autonomy) on the following:

What impact is new/digital media having on:
news stories
the news agenda (the choice of stories that make up the news)
the role of professionals in news