Monday, December 11, 2006

Citizen who?

Reading about citizen journalism reminds me of a very lively debate we had in our ethics class last semester.
We touched on the roles of journalists and citizens and whether we can differentiate the two. Certainly in this day and age, the lines are blurred, especially since the speed of which technological advancements take place, it is hard to keep up.
My 60-year-old dad is thinking of blogging or joining a lobbying group to champion the rights and issues of taxpayers in my neighbourhood, he is fond of surfing, reading blogs and posting his comments online, offering different insights to journalists, who sometimes miss crucial angles.
My question is, as journalists, whose priority is to report the truth and serve the greater public, how do we "compete" with this very fast changes in the delivery platforms.Why I speak of competition is because I question our roles in the very near future. At the rate we are going, our vocal citizenry, will in no time, overtake us in information delivery. Surely there will be questions about credibility of information and ethical standards to maintain when gathering information, but how does the journalist keep up with the changes?
I know the necessity of upgrading my skills, keeping them relevant to ensure that I remain a multi-skilled journalist. But there are days when I feel overwhelmed with the information received and the speed of which information travels.
I suppose one aspect that will always differentiate us with citizenry is the fundamentals of journalism and the ethical standards we keep. Stick to truth, avoid sensationalism and always stay loyal to our audiences. This helps us to stay focus on the purpose of our profession, regardless of the medium used to deliver information.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home