Alternative Media and Citizen Journalism

• 1.CitizenJournalism
  • Why now, Why Me, and Why Bother

2. Alternative Roots

• Alternative To what?

• • The Mainstream

3. MSM Characteristics

• AcCess to Power

• Sponsors

• Parachute in Reporters

• • Objectivity

• Strict Rules and Conventions

4. MSM (Cont.)

• Few OUtlets, Even Fewer Owners

• Top Down Management

• Appeal to LCD (aka Infotainment)

5. Alternative Media

• Alternative to the mainstream

• Personal Stake in Issues

• Alternative TOpics

6. (Cont.)

• Freedom of Style

• Bottom Up Management

• Alternative Business Models

7. Which LEads to...

• Freedom to Choose Topics

• No Experience? No Problem!

• Many tools available (tech)

• You Creation, Your Art

• Portfolio that Speaks for itself

CITIZEN JOURNALISM 8. Drawbacks

• Lack the Resources of MEdia ORgs

• Lack of working structure

• LAck of Name recognition

• If a Tree Falls...

9. All Equal on the net? 10. Basic Formats

• Text: Blogs, online magazines, etc.

• Audio: POdcasts

• Video: Videoblogs (beyond Youtube)

11. Some Examples

• videojournalist.nl

• ryanishungry.com

• Radioopensource.org

• aliveinbaghdad.org

• West Africa Wins Always nofoodforlazyman.blogspot.com

12. Relating to Journalists:

• Receptive and happy to cooperate

• On some level, Envious

• curious for their own work

• Sometimes, completely unwilling to talk

13. Work-Life Balance

• Never Not working

• • Never Working

• Affording the costs

• Jobs that do or dont respect your work

• A-Typical, many colleagues have stopped

14. Work-Life Balance (2)

• Invitations from organizations, Conferences and SchoolS

• Enthusiastic Audience provides

• Jobs, I get hired because of my site

15. Geography

• Advantage of NOT having to BE there

• Living at a crossroads for international travel & work

• Language less of a concern

16. The UNKnown Future

• Can we survive?

• Will we be colonized?

• Does the world benefit?

17. The End CITIZENREPORTER.ORG