citizen journalism and its democratic potential

8/3/2019 Citizen Journalism and Its Democratic Potential

1/24

Citizen Journalism and Its

Democratic PotentialRaquel OliveiraUniversidade Federal da Bahia - Brasil


2/24

After all,what is citizen journalism?

The opinions aboutwhat is citizen journalism diverge. Example:

Dan Gilmor argues that the expression citizenjournalism arose at a time of scarcity, when few people

had this role.

David Rosman contends that practicing unpaidcollaborators working regularly (citizen journalists)should also be considered professionals if they met

the requirements of the formally recognized press. Inthis perspective, if any citizen prepares himself for atask and improves while practicing this activity, then hemay be considered a citizen journalist.


3/24

Citizen Journalism and Its Democratic Potential

Our idea is whether content produced bycitizen journalists, with or without aprofessional journalist as an editor/mediator,

is able to create spaces that fosterdemocracy.

We use the expression citizen journalism forthat type of journalistic work where citizensparticipate actively by providing opinions,producing, editing, and publishing text orhypermediatic content.


4/24

More than a concept, it is a phenomenon

Thus, more than understanding citizen journalism asa concept, we may perceive it as a currentphenomenon on the Internet that competes with or

in the best cases associates with the traditionalmedia consisting of professional journalists. It maybe thought, therefore, that individuals usejournalistic tools specifically digital journalism tocreate, produce, and distribute content of interest toa community in their social and political dimensionor status as citizens with rights and duties in ademocratic system.


5/24

Much of the literature about citizen

journalism relates three aspects:

1. The exploration of the Internets potential for

citizen journalism.2. The description of the nature of citizen

journalism.3. The characteristics of websites used by

citizen journalists.


6/24

Online news organizations and democracy

The potential of the Internet to advancedemocracy has attracted a lot of research,but that specific studies of the ways in which

online news organizations can play a role in ademocracy remain to be more performed. Sothis paper focus on that point.

Specifically, organizations formed by civilsociety.


7/24

Citizen Journalism and Its Democratic Potential

By tapping the power of the web and othernew media to transform itself from mere newsconsumers into `prosumers, the public as the

traditional underdog in the news andinformation flow has created a newinformation order and paved the way for a

potentially better democracy.


8/24

The inquiry for this paper emerges from

these ideas

What is the importance of users participation in onlinenews media?

In the case of citizen journalism, does a larger numberof ordinary civic voices affect a difference in thequality of a societys democracy?

This diversity of voices this pluralism associated withnew technology has truly brought some power tothe citizens that have come to express themselvesthrough these channels?


9/24

To reflect them the paper presents two experiences of

citizen journalism that exist specifically in Brazil and

concern communities considered excluded from the

political system

Viva Favela, is an onlinecommunity representing

low-income communities.

ndios Online, is a virtualindigenous community


10/24

Cases studies

Viva Favela was createdin July 2001 and was thefirst Brazilian websitededicated only to issuesof interest to low-incomepopulations. It was

developed by the VivaRio NGO, and its goalis to overcome digitaldivides, todemocratizeinformation, and toreduce socialinequality.

http://www.vivafavela.com.br/
http://www.vivafavela.com.br/http://www.vivafavela.com.br/


11/24


12/24

Community correspondents

In the both cases, citizen reporters describetheir daily lives, or issues of interest byposting written matters, pictures, video and

audio content. Upon registering, users mayinteract with published online content, andparticipate in meetings in a forum.


13/24

Comparing X

It is important to underline that these examplesbelong to different orders, although they arecomparable. In the case of ndios Online, we arespeaking of ethnically defined communities,

whereas Viva Favela comprises individuals fromsocially and economically disfavored communities.In the former, citizens define themselves by theirethnic origin; in the latter, citizens belong to

communities that may or may not be part ofsomething present at their birth, and where theymay change their social class if the opportunitiesand means for such become available.


14/24

Comparing X

Partnerships and supportndios Online and Viva Favela differsignificantly with regards to support and

partnerships, repercussions in the structureof the portal, and visibility. Viva Favelabenefits from much more support andpartnerships than ndios Online, and

therefore produces a higher-quality portalwith more information and diversified content,and is present in more social media.


15/24

X

Social representation

The study cases have found in the Internet anopportunity to change the image that society has ofthese two communities, images that have grown out ofmass media representations.In the case of the Viva Favela portal, it is divulging thefact that the slum (favela) is not a place of violence anddrug trafficking only, as is usually portrayed innewspapers, soap operas, and movies.

ndios Online portrays native Indians as people that arepart of society as professionals in several areas, andwho struggle to preserve their culture, tradition, and land.


16/24

X

Acting as citizen journalists

The portals we studied, with interesting news for thesecommunities posted mostly by their own members,reflect the idea of citizen journalism. Participants andcontributors to these sites, however, are not concernedwhether what they are doing is journalism or not. Theywant to tell their stories, to describe what is going on in

their communities, and to show their own language andnarrative in the Internet. The important point in thisarticle is freedom of expression for these channels.


17/24

Acting as citizen journalists

Portals as channels for communicating freely anddemocratizing information is the proposition of thendios Online website, in which there is no mediationby professional journalists before publishing content;the native Indians themselves are responsible forproducing and publishing content on the portal.

In contrast, Viva Favela has a content editor, aprofessional journalist that decides what should andwhat should not be published. The publishing

criteria are simple content themes (text, pictures,audio, or video) or announcements of services andevents should pertain to low-income communities,and should abide by the websites editorial policies.


18/24

X

Overcoming digital and social divides

There is a concern in both initiatives to traincollaborating users through workshops on theproduction of text, audio, and video. ndios Onlineteaches how to use the telephone to connect to theWeb, and how to produce and publish audiovisual

content on the website and on the YouTube channel.This is an important aspect for overcoming digitaldivides, as providing access is not enough; citizensneed to be trained to use ICT.


19/24

X

Politics and democracy

Viva Favela deals with topics of general interest

to the public. There is much on citizenship that isrelevant for communities, such as health andeducation, and information about social andcultural events. The portal does not aim tomobilize people for such evident social andpolitical causes as those in ndios Online.

These sites have supported digital democracy byproviding access to information and bybecoming able to mobilize people.


20/24

X

Online social networks

These websites use social networks asallies to inform and mobilize as manypeople as possible. Both have profiles

in Twitter and videos in YouTube. VivaFavela also distributes its content byRSS, on Facebook, and on Orkut.


21/24

X

Participation on websites

Viva Favela, compared to ndios Online, is able to motivate moreparticipation of citizen journalists. Possible explanations are the

subjects covered in Viva Favela are broader interests than thosetreates in ndios Online. Moreover, Viva Favela has a more openadministrative and communications policy, a large number ofsupporting partners, collaborating Communications professionals,professional journalists managing the website, and an NGO thatsupports the project.

The philosophy of ndios Online differs in that they are not fundedby an NGO (which is only a partner), it has no professionaljournalists among its staff, and there are fewer supporters, all ofwhich is evident in the structure of the website.


22/24

Conclusion

The potential of these contributions suggestsignificant gains for citizens, namely:including minority voices in the digital world,

providing access to information of interest tocommunities, configuring a space (website)bringing visibility to these minorities, offeringa place for debates, interconnecting citizens

in similar conditions, and organizing possiblemobilizations of communities to defend theirrights.


23/24

Further potencial: identity

A further potential gain for democracy is thepossibility of building an identity that is notcommonly divulged in professional communicationsmedia. Citizen journalists are writing and presentingthemselves (who they are or what they represent)and what they want from society by postingmultimedia content in websites such as Viva Favelaand ndios Online. There are more voices, which areheard and that bring others into these communities.


24/24

We can see them with their own eyes!

Thank you!Muito Obrigada!!!

citizen journalism and its democratic potential

Documents