Until recently, the news media controlled information on breaking events. Today, people have camera phones and recording devices in their pockets, and they report the news as it happens. Citizen reporting, or citizen journalism, is a way of informing people of events at the personal level. The Media Giraffe Project calls this “participatory democracy and community.”

Examples of Citizen Reporting

  • Criminal activities may be recorded on video surveillance cameras, as well as by innocent bystanders. This type of citizen reporting helps lead to identification of criminals. In the case of crimes involving many people, cell phones are used to text or call for help, as well as record evidence.
  • Natural disasters are recorded as they happen, and video and pictures sent instantaneously around the world. People send text messages giving their locations and injuries, which helps rescue crews do the work of assisting survivors.
  • Social reporting on environmental or government issues is now attainable by the average person using handheld media. This enables citizens to become media watchdogs. If a news report states that something didn’t happen, yet many people have sent in video and texts stating it did happen, there is proof of the fact from the citizens. These fact checking efforts can be posted to blogs or reported to the news media through op-ed pieces.

Reporting News Via Web 2.0

Frequently people turn to YouTube and other video websites for breaking news. During the presidential elections, videos were uploaded daily of the candidates, their speeches, questions and answers, as well as candid scenes not intended for public consumption.

When individuals report using Web 2.0 media, on social networking sites, people may think they are getting raw, uncensored news. However, personal views can be interspersed with the actual reporting. Some people are better educated than others, leading to different types of bias in the reporting. Other people are simply posting their views to the Web, not intending to present objective observations.