CITIZEN JOURNALISM or Grassroots Journalism will overshadowed the traditional journalism in coming days. The indication of user-empowered-content age is visible in the major citizen journalism drives initiated by major media houses, worldwide.
Now, the very question may arise, why the transition will take place. Why are we expecting downfall of traditional media or rise of the citizen media? Why there is not possibility of peaceful coexistence of both?
The traditional media, unto maximum extent, made it confined to newsroom. It kept itself limited to newsroom horizons thus rendering itself incapable of raising voice from grass root level. On the other hand, the citizen journalism owes its existence from the participation of citizens that ensure the originality of information and people’s voice.
The success of citizen journalism in South Korea (during last presidential elections) proved that the very concept of citizen journalism is supportive to democratisation of civil society. In this sense, the concept of citizen journalism in developing countries like India can make large difference in people’s life style or make it more democratic.
Meanwhile, there should be line of distinction between bloggers and citizen journalists . Bloggers, obviously generally, derive their original content and information source from the traditional media. While, citizen journalism is the originator of information and content that makes him independent and free from traditional media.
Around the world, the citizen journalism initiatives are confined to half-page-in-twelve-page-newspaper or five-minute-in-two-hour-program or in-internet, which is most easy or inexpensive. Idea of a full-fledge Citizen-journalism-based channel or citizen-powered-newspaper is not looking bad.
I think it can show the really power of citizen-journalism that make information available to all and leads to knowledge-based society.
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