by Linda Ann Nickerson

Created on: September 05, 2009

Citizen Journalism vs. Professional Journalism: Agendas for Everyone

"Don't believe everything you read," reads the traditional reader's proverb.

Certainly, readers must weigh the content of anything they consume, be it daily newspapers, online articles, television news reports or even classic literature. Public gullibility can be contagious, particularly with the popularity of self publishing and social networking sites. Readers may spot a story somewhere. Clicking a few keys, they may find the same information confirmed many times over by others.

Today, anyone can be a blogger, and a single post can become a viral rumor in an instant.

On the other hand, public trust of large-scale news outlets may be at an all-time low. People tend to distrust organized media. Political conservatives tag the media too liberal. Liberals claim certain media outlets are too conservative.

Citizen journalism has flourished in this wary climate.

What is citizen journalism?

Basically, citizen journalism began as a cottage industry, as online publishing communities invited lay writers to produce content and publish online. Sites such as Helium and Associated Content quickly grew into valid contenders for online readership.

The traditional publishing community quickly took notice. Some shunned citizen journalism as shared ignorance. Others immediately seized upon the seemingly unlimited resource of content that citizen writers might produce in their areas of personal interest and professional expertise.

Of course, the quality of citizen journalism can vary greatly, from slipshod posting to carefully researched and fact-checked reporting.

Many citizen journalists are also professional journalists.

In truth, many professional journalists have participated in citizen journalism opportunities. Even full-time professional journalists may freelance as citizen journalists, as a route towards beefing up professional publication portfolios, gaining additional exposure, building a web presence and earning additional income.

Some seasoned writers have adopted pseudonyms, or pen names, for their citizen journalism pursuits. Others have simply used their professional names.

Careful readers can quickly spot a well-written article, and they can also pick out an opinionated tirade. Usually, in time, the best material is rated well, recommended by readers and optimized by online search engines.

Whom can readers trust?

If the proverbial pen is truly mightier than the sword, then it surely is essential for readers to discern truth from myth or mere ranting. Should readers trust citizen journalists or professional journalists more?

A citizen journalist will certainly write from his own point of reference. Based on this vantage, the citizen journalist's work will likely reflect his own biases, opinions and personal experiences. Most often, a citizen journalist enjoys the liberty to develop his own topics of interest or, at least, to select which writing assignments to accept.

A professional journalist, on the other hand, may be somewhat bound by the ideologies of his employer. The professional journalist generally must cover the topics assigned by his editor or publisher. And the professional journalist's content may be lightly or heavily edited by the organization that employs him.

In either case, journalism may be a valuable source of public information, but readers must be judicious about adopting printed words (online, on paper or on the air) as Gospel truth. A careful reader, who measures multiple reputable sources against one another, is a well-informed reader.

Learn more about this author, Linda Ann Nickerson.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.