ABSTRACT
Examples abound where ordinary citizens have acted in journalistic ways – for example to document unfolding natural disasters, wars and conflicts, map human rights abuses, or challenge misuse of corporate or political power. Eyewitnesses are increasingly using their mobile phones to capture and instantly disseminate news. Activists are using the internet to mobilize and draw attention to their causes by communicating directly with other citizens. In light of such developments, this entry will critique different ways of defining ‘citizen journalism’. It will outline the contested nature of the term, both within scholarly circles and from the perspective of professional journalists. Whilst the entry will draw on some historical examples (for example Indian Ocean Tsunami 2004, London bombings 2005, Saddam Hussain execution 2006, or Mumbai attacks 2008), the emphasis will be on contemporary movements and case studies that will help elucidate what citizen journalism means today. These will be carefully selected to demonstrate the tensions associated with the term citizen journalism and why it remains a useful concept (for example, Jordi Mir’s recording of Ahmed Merabet’s killing during the attack on Charlie Hebdo, or the decapitation of Brazilian investigative blogger Evany José Metzker, both in 2015). Arising from the above discussion the entry will offer a brief meta-typology of different forms and practices of citizen journalism, and in so doing seek to highlight both its important epistemological contribution and the blurred boundaries with professional journalism.
