NDM News: Citizen journalism and hyper-reality
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:
Examples
3) What is meant by the term ‘citizen journalist’?
A person that records a significant event on their phone to show an eye-witness account of what is happening. The video is then published online, and can give news organisations as well as the general public, evidence of what is happening at the event.
4) What was one of the first examples of news being generated by ‘ordinary people’?
The Rodney King case was one of the first examples of news generated by ordinary people as it was filmed by a a man who was in a nearby hotel.
5) List some of the formats for participation that are now offered by news organisations.
Message boards, chat rooms, Q&A, polls have your says, and blogs. Social media sites such as YouTube and Facebook are also built around UGC.
6) What is one of the main differences between professionally shot footage and that taken first-hand (UGC)?
The quality of the footage is one of the main differences. UGC is usually shaky and has low quality sound, whereas professionally shot footage is clear, hard-hitting and emotive.7) What is a gatekeeper?
A gatekeeper is someone who mediates content before it is posted and shared online. They find out whether or not the content is suitable to post and if its relevant to the given topic.
8) How has the role of a gatekeeper changed?
Major institutions are now buying social media sites to have access to UGC e,g Youtube was bought by Google, Microsoft invested in Facebook. This means that gatekeepers are no longer needed.
9) What is one of the primary concerns held by journalists over the rise of UGC?
There are now "fewer permanent trained staff at news organisations" which means a small group of people manage and process UGC.
10) Offer your own opinion (critical autonomy) on the following:
What impact is new/digital media having on:
News stories
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:
Examples
- 1991- An African American man named Rodney King was tasered and beaten by four LA police officers, after a high speed chase. The event was filmed by someone in the nearby apartments and soon made it to prime-time news where it became an "international media sensation".
- Dec 26th 2004- Asian Tsunami- people witnessed the natural disaster as it unfolded.
- 5th July 2005- London bombings
- January 15th 2009- Hudson River plane crash photo posted on Twitpic.
- Audience reception theory (Dominant or preferred reading)- Videos from citizen journalists can be interpreted in many ways, depending on the audience's view. Most audience members would be strongly against the actions of the police and claim that they should be held accountable for their actions( Dominant reading).
- Uses and Gratification (Blumler and Katz)- Surveillance- people could use the footage to find out whats happening in the world (which may not be covered by the news).
- News organisations can provide exclusive footage of events, that were recorded by citizen journalists. This helps the video become viral and controversial.
- Audiences can find out about events that are happening around them. The tsunami footage for example allowed people to reconnect with their families and find out whether or not they had been affected by the natural disaster.
- People can now be the producers of their own news. First hand footage is more appealing to viewers.
- Gatekeepers- Mediate the footage thats being provided to them; some content may be irrelevant.
- Privacy/ Safety issues-
- Less professionals in the journalism industry.
- Social- Poeple feel empowered in a way, as they are able to provide first hand footage of a significant event. Links to the idea of "social good".
- Historical- The first UGC based footage was taken in 1991 (Rodney King case)
- Economic- Journalists are put under more pressure since the public is creating is providing footage.
- Political- UGC allows audiences to show an accurate representation of events that might have been censored or hidden by some institutions. The footage also allows people to share their thoughts and ideas on whats happening in the world.
A person that records a significant event on their phone to show an eye-witness account of what is happening. The video is then published online, and can give news organisations as well as the general public, evidence of what is happening at the event.
4) What was one of the first examples of news being generated by ‘ordinary people’?
The Rodney King case was one of the first examples of news generated by ordinary people as it was filmed by a a man who was in a nearby hotel.
5) List some of the formats for participation that are now offered by news organisations.
Message boards, chat rooms, Q&A, polls have your says, and blogs. Social media sites such as YouTube and Facebook are also built around UGC.
6) What is one of the main differences between professionally shot footage and that taken first-hand (UGC)?
The quality of the footage is one of the main differences. UGC is usually shaky and has low quality sound, whereas professionally shot footage is clear, hard-hitting and emotive.7) What is a gatekeeper?
A gatekeeper is someone who mediates content before it is posted and shared online. They find out whether or not the content is suitable to post and if its relevant to the given topic.
8) How has the role of a gatekeeper changed?
Major institutions are now buying social media sites to have access to UGC e,g Youtube was bought by Google, Microsoft invested in Facebook. This means that gatekeepers are no longer needed.
9) What is one of the primary concerns held by journalists over the rise of UGC?
There are now "fewer permanent trained staff at news organisations" which means a small group of people manage and process UGC.
10) Offer your own opinion (critical autonomy) on the following:
What impact is new/digital media having on:
News stories
Footage posted on social media sites are now used in news stories, which allows a larger audience to access the information. The footage makes the news more interesting and controversial.
The news agenda (the choice of stories that make up the news)
News stories now rely heavily on UGC when a significant event occurs as they provide a first hand account of what was happening.
The role of professionals in news
reframed the way in which media institutions conceptualise their own business infrastructure: in the post-digital age
Jean Baudrillard- "hyper-reality and simulacrum, he expresses anxiety about a society alienated from itself."
Media texts distract people from their daily lives.
There are less professionals in the news as most of the content is now produced by the general public.
Hyper-reality and the digital renaissance
1) Read the article from Media Magazine: Hyper-reality and the digital renaissance (Dec 2009). Use our Media Magazine archive, click on MM30 and go to page 59.
2) Create a new blogpost called 'Hyper-reality and the digital renaissance' and make notes from the article under the following headings:
1) Read the article from Media Magazine: Hyper-reality and the digital renaissance (Dec 2009). Use our Media Magazine archive, click on MM30 and go to page 59.
2) Create a new blogpost called 'Hyper-reality and the digital renaissance' and make notes from the article under the following headings:
Examples
- Cinema/ Television
- Internet
- Social media
- Skype
Theories
- Simulacrum/ hyper reality (Baudrillard)- People now believe the copy of something rather than the real event.
Positive aspects of new technology (or 'digital renaissance'
- internet has infused contemporary civilisation with a new vitality that can be felt across various media forms including television, film, pop music and the press.
Negative aspects of new technology on audiences and society
Wider issues and debates
- Hackers/ Privacy issues
- Mediation- how much can you monitor? Is it too much?
3) The article was written in 2009. Offer three examples of more recent social networking sites or uses of technology that support the idea of a 'digital renaissance'.
Twitter- People tweet about their own views which can be shared with anyone.
Facebook - Share photos with people, but if your profile is private only people you follow can see your posts.
Instagram- People can share photos. Also with Instagram Live people can record videos that are broadcast live online.
4) How do live streaming services such as Periscope or Facebook Live fit into the idea of a 'digital renaissance'? Are these a force for good or simply a further blurring of reality?
I think that they can provide a sense of reality to some extent as they show us events that are happening at that exact moment, but the perspective of the video and its content may influence the video overall- which is an example of hyper-reality.
5) How can we link the 'digital renaissance' to our case study on news? Is citizen journalism a further example of hyper-reality or is it actually making news more accurate and closer to real life?
Twitter- People tweet about their own views which can be shared with anyone.
Facebook - Share photos with people, but if your profile is private only people you follow can see your posts.
Instagram- People can share photos. Also with Instagram Live people can record videos that are broadcast live online.
4) How do live streaming services such as Periscope or Facebook Live fit into the idea of a 'digital renaissance'? Are these a force for good or simply a further blurring of reality?
I think that they can provide a sense of reality to some extent as they show us events that are happening at that exact moment, but the perspective of the video and its content may influence the video overall- which is an example of hyper-reality.
5) How can we link the 'digital renaissance' to our case study on news? Is citizen journalism a further example of hyper-reality or is it actually making news more accurate and closer to real life?
I think its an example of hyper reality as people nowadays don't tend to believe anything they see until they've seen footage of the event on the news.
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