Newlands, Maxine (2010) Come together: professional practice and radical protest. Proof 2010: Journalists Defending Journalism, 2 (2). pp. 1-5.

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Abstract

The essays in the first set of Proof 2010 seem to subscribe to one of two arguments: either the future of journalism will be dominated by unprofessional forms of citizen journalism; or professional journalism needs to up its game in order to be sure of having a future. My contribution sets out a third way for the future of journalism, in which citizen journalism and professional standards are combined. In discussing the changing orientation of citizen journalism or user generated content (UGC) towards a professional style of production, I will draw on the recent shift by environmental activists, who have begun to combine citizen journalism with professional journalistic content. This is especially interesting in that the move from social media towards professional media, which entails the conflation of citizen and professional journalistic practices, also raises an interesting question over the future of political activism. If activists are becoming increasingly professional media operators, can they also be offering an 'alternative' source of news? Indeed, how can there be any kind of alternative if even 'alternative media' are using standardised journalistic techniques and expectations in order to ensure mainstream coverage? It seems plausible to suggest that convergence between citizen and professional is likely to benefit journalism, but there may be negative consequences for politics. Media compromise will surely result in a compromised message.

Item ID:	25939
Item Type:	Article (Non-Refereed Research)
ISSN:	2042-1621
Related URLs:	Publisher
Date Deposited:	04 Jul 2013 00:26
FoR Codes:	19 STUDIES IN CREATIVE ARTS AND WRITING > 1903 Journalism and Professional Writing > 190399 Journalism and Professional Writing not elsewhere classified @ 100%
SEO Codes:	94 LAW, POLITICS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES > 9402 Government and Politics > 940299 Government and Politics not elsewhere classified @ 70% 95 CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING > 9502 Communication > 950204 The Media @ 30%
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