ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that a first step in formulating strategic initiatives, is to invite a rethinking of what it means to bear witness, and in so doing encourage photojournalism's civic responsibilities to be envisaged anew in a digital age. The imperative to be the first to bear witness, a defining lynchpin of professionalism, has been all but ceded to ordinary citizens engaged in 'accidental photojournalism' by simple virtue of being first on the scene, equipped with the means to circulate camera phone reportage in real time. Having the presence of mind to engage in citizen witnessing may well be a laudable achievement under trying constraints, but this represents a different level of engagement. In the face of official denials that anything was amiss, news organizations seized upon diverse forms of citizen witnessing to piece together the story. Most agreed that citizen photojournalism was proving cheap and popular, and held considerable appeal for cash-strapped newsrooms.
