Derek Clark on Citizen Journalism |
This is an OurBlook interview with Derek Clark, co-founder of GeekPolitics. Some experts argue that citizen journalism could help local newspapers survive. Do you agree or disagree?I agree. I think that people are tired of the biased reporting that goes on in all types of old media. The companies that embrace a new way of doing things are the ones that will survive and thrive. Those that try to cling to their old business models are destined to fail. Is there any advice you would give newspapers on how to best incorporate a citizen journalism model into their site? Are you familiar with any media sites that have successfully done so? My advice would be to embrace new media as much as possible. Find as many outlets to let the masses contribute as possible. I know that many sites have added comments to their sites as a way to let everyone contribute. Many times headlines get posted when information is still coming in and the article is just a very short piece saying that something happened. Allowing comments lets people who were there add to the story. Mark Glaser said it this way, "the audience knows more collectively than the reporter alone." ... http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2006/09/your-guide-to-citizen-journalism270.html Some critics cringe at the thought of citizen journalism, citing lack of quality and wondering if it's just going to be a bunch of irresponsible, inept bloggers. How would you respond to these critics? Are there any steps that newspapers can take to safeguard against inaccurate, dishonest, slanted or otherwise harmful citizen journalism? I would say there are some professional journalists I think are more inept than some of the bloggers I know. That being said, I understand the concern. However, I think that newspapers can take steps to avoid many of these potential problems. I think newspapers can use the public online in multiple ways. They could handle it much the same way they handle letters to the editor. Clearly they are screened and not every letter gets published. The newspaper is responsible for publishing content that is respectable and they are not going to print just anything. In this section, they can accept submissions from anyone, but only publish things that meet their quality standards. This is basically free content they don't have to pay a reporter to write. That is definitely a good thing and newspapers should take advantage of it. The other way to safeguard is to simply have a section with a disclaimer saying that it is for the people to share their opinions. Much like with a comments section, people realize it is the individual's opinion that is being shared and not that of the newspaper. This allows a wide range of opinions to be voiced. Some of them will be intelligent and some won't, but that isn't really a problem. The people with intelligent opinions will be given more respect in the community and those who are inaccurate or dishonest will lose respect. The community can decide for itself whose opinion is worth listening to and whose isn't. Again, this is free content that builds a sense of community around it. Both are great things that a newspaper should strive for. No one would pay money at a dentist's office to have a root canal done by a citizen dentist. No one would pay money at a hospital to undergo a gall bladder operation by a citizen surgeon. What makes citizen journalism different in its viability? News is something that happens, not something that can be studied. The quote for Mark Glaser about the audience collectively knowing more about the subject than the reporter is the reason this is viable. That is not the case with a surgeon or a dentist. For example, if the news somehow involves a gall bladder operation, that surgeon is uniquely qualified to report on it. The reporter, on the other hand, is not as qualified to do a surgery. News happens everywhere about everything. There is always going to be somebody who knows more about the subject than the average reporter. That is what makes citizen journalism great. Do you believe that citizen journalism helps democratize information? If so, how? What do you think the information roadmap will look like in 20 years? I do believe that citizen journalism helps democratize information. It brings the power back to the people. When information is held by only a select few, it restricts freedom. They get to decide what to tell the people and then that is what most will believe. Spreading citizen journalism allows people access to every angle and will lead to people being more informed. I think that in 20 years, the way we consume information will be much different. Newspapers that are unable to adapt to new media are going to fail. We are seeing the beginning of this already. I think nearly everyone will get their news online as opposed to TV or newspapers. The majority will also get their information from more sources than they do now simply because they will have more options. Is there anything else you'd like to say about citizen journalism? I recently read something that said about 450,000 people in the United States are now making a living from blogging. That shows that money can be made if you produce good content. Old media still have many resources, they just have to adapt to a new way of disseminating information. Content is still king, and newspapers still have the ability to create good original content. They have to get used to the idea of making money publishing digital content instead of using ink and paper. The newspapers that survive will be the ones that make the most of the benefits of the online world. Citizen journalism can in many cases provide free content and the internet provides the ability to reach a much larger audience. The old media that combine their resources with the advantages of new media will thrive. The old media that try to cling to their old methods of doing things will die. Derek Clark, a software developer from Nashville, started GeekPolitics with Thomas Seabrooks in 2008 to "share our passion for politics, public policy and the economy with as many people as we can."
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