Framing Questions: Week 9

1. Luke Goode defines citizen journalism in relatively loose terms, describing it as “a range of web-based practices whereby ‘ordinary’ users engage in journalistic practices… such as current affairs-based blogging, photo and video sharing, and posting eyewitness commentary on current events.” With these so-called ordinary users playing an increasing role in the production and distribution of news, is the validity of the classic agenda setting theory then overridden? What are the implications of the audience becoming the source of influence and determining what society talks about?

2. Likewise, citizen journalists are adapting the unofficial role of news editors, in terms of selecting what news stories take precedence and are re-worked. How does this impact democracy in journalism? Does transparency promote civil engagement to a higher degree? Or does it result in a more skewed/less unbiased version of the news agenda.

3. How is the line between op-ed and hard news becoming more blurred, in the event of amateur journalists posting content? Is journalism starting to revolve around social commentary, as opposed to traditional hard news values?

Tags: agenda setting theory, citizen journalism, democracy, framing