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Defining Journalism Down
So far, citizen media is a farce
In mid-July, NYU professor Jay Rosen asked a provocative question about citizen journalism: "Can we take the quote marks off now?" A longtime champion of what's called citizen journalism, Rosen believes that it's time to start giving user-generated content more credit: "Can we remove the ‘so-called' from in front?"
Here's my response to Rosen: As soon as I see something worthy of the name. Also: I think reading websites all day is taking a toll on your grammar.
But Rosen would say I have old-media values. He's busy building a career out of promoting user-generated content as a competitor to the dreaded "MSM." He's even called professional journalists a tribe, implying that we operate as an interest group. I'm not sure I'd qualify as a member (but if we can operate casinos, I'm totally in!) but I admit that I'm concerned that a group of people willing to do my job for nothing could endanger my ability to make a living. Rosen doesn't have to worry about this, of course, because he's a member of another tribe: tenured academics.
To make sure I'm not being unfair, I took a look at CNN's iReport site, to which users upload content that they would describe as journalism. Here's what I found on August 10. (I wrote this before my tribe went on its mid-August migration to upstate New York.)
Under the heading "Fresh iReports," the latest story was a screed about China messing up the U.S. national anthem at the Olympics, illustrated with an image of the Marines raising the American flag at Iwo Jima. The central point: "PLAY OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM CORRECTLY, CHINA. Otherwise, WE are insulted." While I can't argue with the idea that a country able to coordinate such a spectacular opening ceremony should be able to do justice to "The Star Spangled Banner", this isn't journalism so much as commentary – the kind that's only entertaining in a sports bar.
Here's my response to Rosen: As soon as I see something worthy of the name. Also: I think reading websites all day is taking a toll on your grammar.
But Rosen would say I have old-media values. He's busy building a career out of promoting user-generated content as a competitor to the dreaded "MSM." He's even called professional journalists a tribe, implying that we operate as an interest group. I'm not sure I'd qualify as a member (but if we can operate casinos, I'm totally in!) but I admit that I'm concerned that a group of people willing to do my job for nothing could endanger my ability to make a living. Rosen doesn't have to worry about this, of course, because he's a member of another tribe: tenured academics.
To make sure I'm not being unfair, I took a look at CNN's iReport site, to which users upload content that they would describe as journalism. Here's what I found on August 10. (I wrote this before my tribe went on its mid-August migration to upstate New York.)
Under the heading "Fresh iReports," the latest story was a screed about China messing up the U.S. national anthem at the Olympics, illustrated with an image of the Marines raising the American flag at Iwo Jima. The central point: "PLAY OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM CORRECTLY, CHINA. Otherwise, WE are insulted." While I can't argue with the idea that a country able to coordinate such a spectacular opening ceremony should be able to do justice to "The Star Spangled Banner", this isn't journalism so much as commentary – the kind that's only entertaining in a sports bar.
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15:08 EDT, 19.Aug.08