NDM News: Citizen journalism and hyper-reality

NDM News: Citizen journalism and hyper-reality

2) Create a blogpost where you make notes from the article under the following headings: 

• examples

-1991 video cameras becoming more widely available witnessing police brutality on Rodney King. 

-December 26th 2004 asian tsunami captured by accidental journalists on mobile phones.

-july 5th 2007 london terror attacks, unmediated footage to show on news channels.

• theory (audience reception etc.) 

-ugc

-uses and gratifications no longer are audienced using news for surveillance they are taking in part in creating the content 

• benefits to institutions

-Free footage from public 

• benefits to audience 

-unmediated news raw footage 

-Able to see what is going on faster

- variety of places to access news from like social media 

• wider issues and debates 

-Professional journalists loosing jobs

• SHEP

S- Journalist loosing jobs

H- audiences no longer passive

E- institutions not paying for content 

3) What is meant by the term ‘citizen journalist’?

Citizen journalist/accidental journalist is a member of the public who has reported on a news story as it is happening by recording via smart phone or video camera, or talking about the occurring even on social media platforms. 

4) What was one of the first examples of news being generated by ‘ordinary people’?

One of the first examples was in  1991  when rodney king was excessively beaten by LA police officers. A man in an apartment building saw this and decided to record on his video camera and send it to news stations. Without this this crime would have gone unnoticed. Video cameras started this off but now a days most citizens use mobile phones to capture events as they happen.

5) List some of the formats for participation that are now offered by news organisations.

-comment sections 

-chat rooms 

-internet in general 

6) What is one of the main differences between professionally shot footage and that taken first-hand (UGC)?

Professionally shot footage is 'mediated' which means it is often stages and planned and occurs after the event has taken place. Whereas, UGC is un-mediated and raw footage usually of poor quality from somebodys mobile phone. 

7) What is a gatekeeper?

A gatekeeper in terms of this topic is somebody who chooses what material sent in from the public is worth using.

8) How has the role of a gatekeeper changed?

Gatekeepers now have to sieve through pointless spam like photos of kittens to try and find useful stories.

9) What is one of the primary concerns held by journalists over the rise of UGC?

Journalists fear for their jobs as UGC is rising and social media is becoming an important source for peoples news.

10) Offer your own opinion (critical autonomy) on the following:

UGC has meant that journalist are loosing their jobs and this puts everybody at a disadvantage as professional journalism has uncovered stories likes the watergate scandal and the people providing ugc dont have the skills to do this.

Hyper-reality and the digital renaissance

2) Create a new blogpost called 'Hyper-reality and the digital renaissance' and make notes from the article under the following headings: 

• examples

-Ciema 

-TV

-Internet 

-social networking 

• theories 

-Audience reception how we as an audience decode the messages producers have put into their product with dominant,negotiated and rejected reading 

- two step flow model 

• positive aspects of new technology (or 'digital renaissance' 

-New sources of information, people become more educated on international issues because of things like social media.

• negative aspects of new technology on audiences and society 

- Online/cyber bullying via social networks like facebook

• wider issues and debates 

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'.

Snapchat

periscope

face time 

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?

They do both in a way as it allows people to connect with other people from around the world sharing aspects of reality- being a force of good but also blurring from reality as some of what they say may be distorted or taken from somewhere else- blurring the 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 believe that it makes news more accurate as it isnt mediated or staged so it cant be hyper reality if it is a raw video. However by seeing the clip on various news sites or social medias the clip could come distorted and this would become an example of hyper reality.