Citizen journalism a threat to journalism

Lebohang Pita

The core values of journalism are no longer intact today because every Tom, dick and harry has the capacity to impart information using the new forms of digital media that comprise facebook, blogger to say mention a few. A journalist is known to have the best interests of people at heart but the emergence of the so-called citizen journalism has compromised the core values of journalism of reporting truthfully, accurately, fairly and in the public interest.

Before any information that might change history can be disseminated to the public, a journalist has to delve deeper into the matter at hand so as to avoid misleading the masses and sensationalising the news. That is responsibility on the part of a professional journalist but can a citizen journalist do that?

What is citizen journalism though?

Pundits say it is the kind of journalism that enables everyone to disseminate information or voice their grievances when they feel hard-done by either government or any jurisdiction. Here, normal citizens make it their obligation to inform, without any verification. Without checking the truthfulness of the subject, they just turn to their social networking sites and pass the information to the public at large. And this kind of reporting has the ability to mislead and distort facts. So this means people are now becoming journalists without any formal training from any institution. With many now entrusting these social networking sites, does this mean the profession is doomed?

One can say yes because of the fact that it no longer requires formal training to become a journalist. And I can attest to the above fact because journalism has been demoted to a mere average profession.

Citizens are now able to sniff news but do not know when to report in the public interest. This has thus put the profession in the unlikeliest of situations, to introduce quick measures that will enhance reporting. Citizen journalism is a threat to the profession for the mere fact that unverified and untrue news are now passed to the public and it has become clear that due to its immediacy, people are fully consuming news on social networking sites. In a few years time, we will be told that journalism is no longer considered a career.

On the contrary, hardcore training to write an article or a radio or TV news script is required. And it takes a dedicated and passionate journalist to keep the people abreast of any issue of detrimental or entertainment nature. Conducting interviews for a report not to mislead requires time and energy. The brief letters you call reporting on social networking sites are OUT!!!

Therefore, reporting should be left to PROFESSIONALS!!!