CITIZEN JOURNALISM has a long history of its existence; however, it was only a few years back that the concept gained momentum with rapid growth and advancement in technology. Today increase in prevalence and easy accessibility of smart-phones, cameras and many other gadgets along with new media technology, such as social networking and media-sharing websites has made capturing, reporting and distributing breaking news easy for citizens.

 

It is rightly said that a picture is worth thousand words and easy access of a Citizen Journalist to gadgets like smart-phones and cameras can prove to be handy. They can summarise the whole story, with just a click of their mobile phone cameras and upload it on the social networking tools. Professional Journalists can take a cue from this picture and follow up the story, according to the significance of the event and their editorial policies. Even though the picture/ video reports captured and shared by Citizen Journalist couldn’t be presumed to be of high quality always, and at times they can be grainy and blurred but they speak the truth that only an eye witness can capture.

 

There have been notable examples in the past where Citizen Journalists have played an important role in reporting major world events and natural calamities, such as capturing pictures and videos of 9/11 terrorist attack at the World Trade Centre or sharing the horrifying images of the Tsunami that hit Japan in 2011. Had there been no access to such gadgets, reporting of such stories wouldn’t be possible.

 

Citizen journalism is not only about reporting or capturing news, it is also about exposing the corrupt officials in our political and administrative system by recording their faults and shameful acts and bringing them to public notice and to do so, there are various innovative gadgets available. Not only mobile phones or cameras, there are some spy gadgets, available at reasonable prices in the market that can be used to record such acts, without any trouble. Spy belts, bags, caps, calculator cameras, spy tables and wall clocks are some of the examples.