Larry Atkins on Citizen Journalism |
This an OurBlook interview with Larry Atkins, adjunct professor of journalism in Arcadia University's English, Communications and Theatre Department. Some experts argue that citizen journalism could help local newspapers survive. Do you agree or disagree?LA: Citizen journalism can help local newspapers survive by making them a more interactive product. Readers who post comments, articles and photos on their local newspaper's website might feel a stronger connection to the paper and be more likely to read the print version and the online version of the paper. Is there any advice you would give newspapers on how to best incorporate a citizen journalism model into their site? LA: I think local newspapers could take advantage of citizen journalism much like the manner in which cable television outlets like CNN have used I-Reports. Newspapers could encourage citizen journalists to send photos and write first-person accounts of their experiences in observing a news event. For instance, people who attend a local July 4th parade could send photos, video and written impressions to be posted on the newspaper website. If there are over 50 local July 4th parades in a metropolitan area, one newspaper reporter can't get to all of them. Through citizen journalism I-Reports, a newspaper could post information about most, if not all, of those parades on their website. 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? LA: Newspapers could hold regular citizen journalism training sessions at the newspaper every month that could focus on newsgathering techniques and media ethics. They also could post a podcast or video presentation on their website giving reporting tips and ethical advice. Have newspaper staff member regularly monitor the citizen journalism submissions much like a newspaper message board to keep an eye out for content that might appear biased, dishonest, false, defamatory or otherwise objectionable. 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? LA: Professional journalists employed by mainstream media outlets can't be everywhere to cover everything. Citizen journalists, when used effectively, can be used to supplement mainstream media coverage. Just like I-Reports were used effectively in the Minnesota bridge collapse, newspapers and other local media can be enhanced by citizen journalists who are on the scene of tragedies and important events on a local level, such as a car accident, a fire, a school shooting, a war protest, or the aftermath of a hurricane or flood. Do you believe that citizen journalism helps democratize information? If so, how? LA: Yes, citizen journalism does democratize information. The major newspapers are no longer the sole outlet for news and opinion. Average people have started websites and blogs and have built a substantial audience and become influential in all sorts of topics. Media consumers have many more options for getting opinions and news analysis. Trackback(0)
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  written by Simona Fica, journalist in Romania, December 10, 2009
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ROMANIA Invaded by the Mossad.
Sources in Romanian counter, which in May will not consent to the "law of silence" imposed by their political bosses, we stated that, currently, national security is seriously jeopardized by the inability of Intelligence to exercise effective control over information environments Jewish interest, known worldwide as the proper unfolding of the shares covered by the foreign related services, but also of business often dishonest, or at risk of legality, which makes money laundering and outsourcing amounts obtained illegally, often for financing certain operations of the Mossad and even terrorist organizations.
Such an environment completely beyond the control of the Romanian state bodies, starting with the intelligence services and police continued with specialized structures and Finance Ministry is that of casinos and gambling. Sources said that the omission of the factors mentioned competent stems complicity in the high level of decision-making structures of the state, that government and president. Almost daily aircraft landing at Bucharest players who passionately in Israel, at dawn, they go back, but out of country and large sums of money - operations under strict guard of Israeli armed to the teeth. Effectively, there are scenes of nightmare. Although many were made inform about the activity on the Romanian territory of intelligence structures have such concerns, data are clear that casinos are washed through the millions of euro cash, amounts finally take the road foreignness - pending cases have been protracted because the operative substance to dilute up to extinction, so that they can no longer be documented and investigated. This state of affairs led to the explosive proliferation in Romania gambling houses, most of which are patronized by so-called businessmen Hebrew, in fact, are nothing but Israeli intelligence personnel. In addition to the exorbitant sums that circulated in these places and which, largely in Romania go through various ways (in rural financial specialist to appreciate that 80% of this money shall go abroad, in some cases, to confuse, via Cyprus) in these casinos is an intense activity practice gathering information from various fields, mostly from the economic. This is one of the explanations for that, when the privatization was an advantageous to have signed it or companies from Israel or other states, but with the Hebrew citizens back. Because they received the "tips" of time. Worth mentioning is that in Israel such practices are prohibited by law, thus avoiding leakage of money so, how and the information. It is quite eloquently that three quarters of casinos in Bucharest belong "business" in the Middle East. They have significant connections with politics and control authorities in Romania. Israelis driving through companies registered in tax havens, business worth hundreds of millions per year, whose taxes to the state "forget" to pay them.
Romanian special structures at all is known that all casinos in Bucharest are suspected of money laundering and illegal expatriation of funds from fraudulent, whose destination is the support of various illegal actions of some foreign intelligence structures. As is known, for example, Israeli police were notified, and has started a criminal investigation regarding fraudulent obtaining electoral funds by former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the amount of $ 1.5 million, while money laundering operations. The main investigation was his two sons - Omri and Ghilad Sharon - whose mother (Lily) was the Jew originally from Romania, in Brasov.
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