http://www.contentious.com/2006/04/20/how-citizen-journalism-could-save-news-pros-jobs/ Amy Gahran's news and musings on how we communicate in the online age. Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:27:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 http://www.contentious.com/2006/04/20/how-citizen-journalism-could-save-news-pros-jobs/#comment-70064 H.A. Page Fri, 28 Apr 2006 19:40:54 +0000 #comment-70064 I'm a bloggie newbie but covered you today at MotherPie... quoted you with the big guys. I’m a bloggie newbie but covered you today at MotherPie… quoted you with the big guys.

]]> http://www.contentious.com/2006/04/20/how-citizen-journalism-could-save-news-pros-jobs/#comment-69383 Dave Poulson Fri, 21 Apr 2006 14:32:03 +0000 #comment-69383 You point to an interesting hybrid of grassroots media and professional oversight. As someone with a background in traditional journalism, this appeals to me greatly. I worry about irresponsible and silly reports that grassroots media can produce. Yet I value the talent, knowledge and skills that can be leveraged from non-traditional journalists. So a model where professionals are paid to sort the grassroots-produced wheat from chaff has great appeal. And yet...somehow this feels limiting to this new world of journalism. The new world is all about tapping directly into news consumers and having them become news producers. It isn't a top down "we'll decide what's important for you to know about and how you'll consume it" model. The hybrid appeals to me, the traditional newshound. But it is also limiting to me, the person who wants to explore entirely new ways of mucking around with the news. You point to an interesting hybrid of grassroots media and professional oversight. As someone with a background in traditional journalism, this appeals to me greatly. I worry about irresponsible and silly reports that grassroots media can produce. Yet I value the talent, knowledge and skills that can be leveraged from non-traditional journalists.
So a model where professionals are paid to sort the grassroots-produced wheat from chaff has great appeal.
And yet…somehow this feels limiting to this new world of journalism. The new world is all about tapping directly into news consumers and having them become news producers. It isn’t a top down “we’ll decide what’s important for you to know about and how you’ll consume it” model.
The hybrid appeals to me, the traditional newshound. But it is also limiting to me, the person who wants to explore entirely new ways of mucking around with the news.

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