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Oregon's Almeda Fire destroyed over 2,000 residences and displaced thousands of people who evacuated with little warning or guidance from official or traditional media sources. Results of this social network analysis of 12,193 tweets from the active stage of the crisis show a clear clustered network structure, with citizens playing a more influential role in crisis information diffusion than government or media accounts. Additionally, some of the most widely shared information from nonlocal media accounts was misinformed or inaccurate. Findings suggest that crisis leaders should work to cultivate relationships with influential citizen journalists in wildfire-prone areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The violent spectacle of the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot provides a case study of how online open-source investigation helped identify members of the mob and provide deeper understanding of the day's events. Considering this form of investigation as an emerging network for the hybrid institution of journalism, an assemblage extending beyond the newsroom, this study takes a mixed-method, networked ethnography approach to map out this open-source space. Using a network analysis of open-source investigators based on Twitter data shows that the recently emerged Bellingcat organization and similar open-source groups serve a liaison function, bridging professional journalists and largely anonymous citizen "sleuthers." Using this network as a guide, depth interviews were conducted with key participants, showing that the community was organized around an accountability ethos and a methodology of verification. We argue that this interlocking network has potential to strengthen the resilience of the journalistic institution, build citizen trust and resist politicized historical revisionism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article draws on the case of La Gordiloca, a Facebook-based journalist from Laredo, TX, to interrogate the increasing role of social media within news-making processes. Applauded by The New York Times as a paragon of twenty-first century journalism and under scrutiny from local businesses and law enforcement for defamation and misuse of official information, she occupies a space between digital journalist and social media celebrity. Combining a content analysis with focus groups of Laredo residents, we argue that her work reflects a constitutive paradox unique to social media journalism: Whereas new technologies expand opportunities for citizens to participate in the process of news production, they also enable the corrosion of norms/practices that oriented previous forms of news production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This field study aims to reveal the most important problems that citizen journalism raises in the Algerian environment in terms of practice and the ethical and professional rules attached to it and the corresponding freedom that the medium provides in the networked society and the capacity for effectiveness in creating and producing content and publishing it on the ground. Bringing the truth closer to citizens and adhering to the consecration of electronic democracy and direct freedom of expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citizen journalism is increasingly practiced worldwide due to the expansion of the Internet, new media technologies, and social media platforms. This study investigated Malaysia's citizen journalism through young journalist’s perspective by understanding the concepts and roles of citizen journalists. The analysis demonstrated that young citizen journalists view opportunities and empowerment from a new angle. The results illustrated that citizen journalism in Malaysia provides a potential prospect for citizen journalists as well as a role in inspiring young people. Based on the present paper, it is suggested that future research should explore the guidelines to distinguish Malaysian citizen journalists from the conventional keyboard warriors and cyber troopers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the use of new technologies by the sports-media complex, looking specifically at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Finals. Combining the world's single largest sports media event with one of the most current, complex forms of Web-based communication, this article explores extent to which football fans embedded in Germany used the Internet to blog their World Cup experiences. Various categories of blog sites were identified, including independent bloggers, bloggers using football-hemed Web sites, and blogs hosted on corporate-sponsored platforms. The study shows that the anticipated "democratizing potential" of blogging was not evident during Germany 2006. Instead, blogging acted as a platform for corporations, which, employing professional journalists, told the fans' World Cup stories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite both scholarly and popular claims that citizen journalism (CJ) represents a growing democratizing force in the journalistic field, recent scholarship in the area has noted the decline of the organizational population of CJ. In this paper, we investigate how individual characteristics of sites and the dynamics of larger organizational population affect a CJ site’s risk of experiencing a mortality. Drawing on the largest sample to date of US-based English-language CJ sites, this study examines the risk of site mortality through an event history framework. Findings indicate that the strongest predictor of a site’s mortality is the age of the site, consistent with organizational population theory’s ‘liability of newness.’ We also find that for-profit and community-based sites have lower rates of site mortality, indicating that adopting legitimate conventions of journalism may serve as a protective buffer to site death. The results offer mixed evidence on whether CJ has become more professionalized via attrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through a content analysis of 571 videos posted on the self-generated YouTube channels of five international news channels, this study examines whether user-generated content is a significant part of today’s international journalism. The study includes international news channels Al Jazeera English, France 24 English, Russia Today, CNN International, and Al Arabiya. Exploring the implications for gatekeeping theory, the study looked at how these international news channels incorporate user-generated content in their daily news coverage. Results show that the international news channels are generally not using user-generated content—both work produced by citizen journalists and various measures of ‘interactivity’—to its full potential and that user-generated content is not disruptive to the conventional application of gatekeeping theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most significant changes in journalism over the last decade has been the participation of citizens in the information process, establishing various forms of interaction with professional journalists and the media. This development has established a new journalistic culture based on dynamic interaction with the audience that improved information processes in various ways. However, this active role of the audience can not substantiate the so called citizen journalism, because it lacks the necessary conditions to ensure quality information that secures constructive and civilized public debate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines whether citizen journalists adhere to traditional journalistic norms when reporting. A nationwide survey and follow-up interviews with selected US citizen journalists showed they do consider traditional norms such as objectivity, gatekeeping, and balance to be very important. This is contrary to what some previous studies have found. Citizen journalists also indicated that both official and unofficial sources were integral to storytelling. This study's findings point to the need to examine further how citizen journalists incorporate traditional notions of journalism practice into their approaches to gathering and reporting news. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Occupation, blockage and storming are not rare in social movements a decade after China resumed sovereignty in Hong Kong. The organizers and participants usually involve locally born young people. Some of them are secondary school students in their teens. They are known as the fourth generation or post-1980s born Hongkongers. The paper examines the cultural context of social movements involving these youth activists. It focusses on the campaign against the Sino-Hong Kong Express Railway development project. The project called for the demolition of the Tsoi Yuen Village, a small rural village located on its designated route. Since then, the role of the younger generation in social movements has been recognized more broadly. Social media are widely employed in all stages of the movements with citizen journalists actively involved. The impressive 'prostrating walk' imitating Tibetan pilgrims has become a symbol of these youth activists. It has kept appearing in other campaigns including Occupy Central in Hong Kong in 2014. This paper argues that the rise of nativism, advancement in ICT technology and the shift towards new social movements contribute to the dominant role of youth in recent social movements of Hong Kong. Collective identity of Hongkonger in response to the top-down assimilation by China strengthens the movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compares Gulf Coast journalists and Twitter users’ coverage of the BP oil spill. In addition to examining authors’ attitudes toward and coverage of the BP oil spill, the study examines community-level variables that shaped attitudes and coverage. The community structure literature has suggested that news media in smaller, more homogeneous communities, which are economically dependent on a polluting industry (as are many communities along the Gulf Coast), are more reticent to be critical in their coverage of pollution. Scholars have suggested, though, that the Internet transcends local geography and that the Internet is more open to alternative perspectives. This study suggests, though, that while the distribution of online content may make local geography less relevant, its production is still rooted in local communities. As a result, Tweets about the oil spill were shaped by many of the same social and economic forces that shaped journalists’ coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars have long studied the relationships between professional journalists and public relations practitioners. However, public relations literature (both scholarly and trade) has not sufficiently examined the nature of the relationships between citizen journalists and public relations practitioners. This study addresses that gap through surveying U.S. citizen journalists on their views of public relations professionals and their materials. Study findings point to ambivalence among citizen journalists: they are not sure of the value of public relations people or the usefulness of their material, but they voice a positive regard for public relations people the more they interact with them. These findings indicate that a more carefully considered outreach to citizen journalists can allow public relations practitioners to build better relationships with these non-traditional reporters and, therefore, enhance the opportunity for practitioners to be more effective conveying information within the online news ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structured interviews with community newspaper editors and publishers build on current theoretical understandings of normative deviance and gatekeeping theory. Editors and publishers encounter a great deal of audience interaction and a clear emphasis on news about “regular people and routine events,” which offers a topical rebuttal to gatekeeping theory's assertion that journalists are attracted to news about conflict and celebrity due to a lack of dialogue with media consumers. A deeper reading of the text, however, demonstrates that “regular people” and “routine events” remain rooted in conflict and celebrity. This study suggests a theoretical broadening of normative deviance and a new model, the “CxP Typology,” to aid the theoretical expression of normative deviance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article do an approach to the impact of citizen activism during the earthquake of Ecuador on April 16, against the responsiveness of the mass media. The methodology considers the review of the activity of users on Twitter with two tools: Trendinalia and Twitter Reach, during 24 hours following the earthquake. First results indicate the importance of the user activity for informative production; however, Twitter, as an anarchic tool, it was evident the quantity of sources and much of the information was made about emotional issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenges faced by rural communities in India in both access to mainstream media and coverage by it have major implications for democracy and civic participation. CGNet Swara, a citizen journalism initiative, attempts to address this problem by enabling rural or tribal communities to obtain and report news, and, to facilitate coverage of their concerns, by acting as “a bridge” between those communities and professional news outlets. Our research on the project’s relationship with mainstream news outlets in central India finds that while at least some professional journalists endorse the ideals of citizen journalism, they reject the idea that CGNet Swara can assist them. These findings lead us to re-evaluate the potential of citizen journalism as a transformative and democratizing force. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The economic crisis and the appearance of “citizen photojournalism" are the main challenges the professional practice of photojournalism has faced in recent years. The American Society of News Editors states that photojournalists (and visual journalists) are the professionals most affected by the cuts in the media ecosystem. The digital revolution has converted citizens into potential creators of images of newsworthy events and the media invite audiences to participate by sending in their photographs for publication. Photojournalists no longer have exclusive control of news images. Are they in danger of extinction? Has participatory journalism devalued the job of photojournalist? Are graphic reporters opposed to audience participation? This research tries to discover how Spanish photojournalists are reacting in this participatory media context. To attain this goal, twelve indepth interviews were held with recognized Spanish photojournalists who develop their activity at the local, regional, national and international levels, featuring, for example, graphic reporters Manu Brabo (Pulitzer Prize, 2013) and Daniel Pozo (National Photojournalism Prize, 2012). All of them argue that quality is expensive and that few citizens can compete with the technical knowledge and work tools of a professional photojournalist. One main conclusion can be drawn from an analysis of their replies: photojournalists do not feel threatened by citizen participation in the media. In fact, they show great generosity by considering that the images contributed by audiences should be economically remunerated. In contrast, they regard media managers as the real enemies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an experiment comparing traditional news reporting to citizen blogs, university students rated traditional journalism as more credible than citizen journalism. Also, participants assessed straight news articles as more credible than opinionated reports of the same news. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase in citizen-generated news, the need to understand how individual predispositions interact with news sources to influence perceptions of news credibility becomes increasingly important. Using a web-based experiment, this study examines the influences individual predispositions toward the media and politics have on perceived credibility of mainstream and citizen journalism. Analyzing data drawn from a representative sample of the U.S. adult population, results indicate that media skepticism and political cynicism interact, such that cynics and skeptics perceive citizen journalism as more credible, while non-cynics and non-skeptics think mainstream journalism is more credible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marca Community is arguably one of the most popular online sports communities in Spain with over 400,000 members. In its forum, users can comment on the news published by the sport-based newspapers Marca while interacting with other members. Drawing on the existing literature on virtual communities, this study empirically examines the engagement in online discussion in order to determine the degree of “community building" promoted by the members. We propose a methodological approach taking under consideration the singularities of the sports fans and of the online conversation. A structural analysis focusing on the user interaction was conducted over the members (N=4,967) who posted comments in 8 selected articles. The findings suggest that Marca Community is a non-hierarchical liquid network wherein members participate in an equal footing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In post-apartheid South Africa, how possible is it for community radio to dissociate from elite practices in terms of media creation and consumption that reflect inclusive and participatory public spheres? This article is based on a study of a current affairs community radio show,Lunchtime Live. The show attempted to capture diverse voices, to offer balanced perspectives between powerful political elites and ordinary citizens, and to create spaces for ordinary citizens in a rural South African town, Grahamstown, to participate in public spheres with the aim of fostering inclusive public discussion and accountability. However, high levels of poverty and inequality made this aspect of citizenship unattainable, especially in view of the costs involved with participating in studio discussions through audience-initiated phone calls. While the diction used onLunchtime Livewas couched in struggle and revolutionary language and pitted the community against the authorities, the audience discussions revealed that the community felt alienated, and that the chasm between them and their leaders may be widening. This was because of the perception thatLunchtime Liveshows were,ab initio, tainted by elite participation and frames, which turned many potential and actual audiences against it. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An essay is presented on the legal rights of citizen-critics and citizen journalists as of 2014, focusing on the reported perils of defining the press in America. Due process claims and the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution are addressed, along with the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in the defamation-related legal case New York Times Co. v. Sullivan. Press- and speech-related freedoms in America are mentioned, along with American constitutional laws and liberty.

For several decades, citizens have reported that they trust some news outlets over others largely because they perceive the industry to be biased in its coverage. On the other hand, journalists have a more positive perception of their work than does the public. Long-standing research on journalists confirms they see their profession as a public-service calling, featuring principal tenets that include being watchdogs and providing analysis of complex problems. Recent research on the public suggests poor perceptions of press performance are linked to reduced news consumption. Using two contemporaneous survey data from both US newspaper journalists and the US public, this research first sheds some light over what may constitute “good journalism” for the public and for journalists. Then, it compares news consumers' views of the work being produced by the newspaper profession and the views held by the newspaper journalists themselves. Additionally, the present study explores the connection between the public's perception of good journalism and their consumption of distinct modes of information: traditional news, citizen journalism, and infotainment. Findings indicate that newspaper journalists give significantly higher marks to their performance on the tenets of “good journalism” than do members of the public. Furthermore, there is a positive association between citizens who reported higher scores on journalists' “good journalism” performance and the consumption of traditional news and infotainment programs. No association is found with respect to the likelihood to consume citizen journalism content. Implications of these findings and shortcoming of the study are also addressed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Citizen journalists can participate in political user-generated news websites in different ways, including providing content, discussing with other users, and rating the content posted on the site. Also, users of these types of sites form impressions of other users based on the information provided by different sources. The information supplied by rating systems, for example, constitutes a source of information that cues certain characteristics about others. However, user-generated news websites' rating systems usually evaluate users' participation without distinguishing between types of participation. Taking into account the origin of the information carried by the cues and the communal dimension evaluated in the process of impression formation, this study examines how a set of different rating system design options might influence users' impressions of the credibility of discussants, discussion informativeness, and willingness to contribute to discussions on political user-generated news websites. The results of this study partially support the idea that communal third-party information has more importance when impressions are formed in these online settings, although further research is needed to establish the connection between rating systems and the communal characteristics of users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The media landscape is undergoing a period of radical transformation, characterised by the decline of the traditional media and the rise of digital new media. This article is concerned with the impact these changes are having on political violence and liberal democracies. The article argues that the emergence of citizen journalism and the decline of traditional journalism signals a dangerous deficit in accountability structures in liberal democracies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Blogs have turned into a key part of the world’s online culture these years. Many world-famous websites are providing blog services in an attempt to make their own blog service at least comparable to others at minimum. The main purpose of the paper is to answer the questions, “What determinants matter when bloggers choose staying a particular blog site?” Are there the determinants existing any relationship among them? This study proposes a combined Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Partial Least Squares (PLSs) path analysis to advance our understanding of the processes involved in blog site evaluation from the perspectives of student-bloggers in Taiwan, during 2009/09∼2010/03. The results provide insight for those who are concerned with this topic. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Today, citizen photojournalists armed with mobile phones can perform many of the tasks of a photojournalist, calling into question whether photojournalists perform a unique and essential service–characteristics of professionals. Photojournalists defend their professionalism through their professional values and skills, but even as they attempt to defend their occupational turf, the resource-poor news organizations for which they work are soliciting and publishing these citizen-shot news images. This study uses a field experiment that manipulates a photo credit line and open-ended responses to assess whether this sense of threatened professionalism exists. Further, this study examines whether citizen photojournalists' assessment of news image quality is impacted by the presence of a professional credit line. This study adds to the current understanding of photojournalism values, citizen-photojournalism values and professional threat [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2009 protests in Iran and the 2011 Arab uprisings took place in complex and fast evolving media ecologies. The BBC's Persian and Arabic language services, which reach millions, drew heavily on content created by ordinary citizens to cover events. This paper traces the flow of this content through the news process to examine how collaboration between newsrooms and citizen journalists changed from 2009 to 2011. The article argues that participation in the news process hinges on the congruence between newsroom practices, and the practices of those producing content on the streets. Such congruence requires mutual knowledge of broadcasting requirements. It finds that by 2011 journalists felt more comfortable and effective integrating user-generated content (UGC) into their news output. Importantly, UGC creators appear to have taken on board the broadcaster's editorial requirements, making them savvier content creators. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Considered by some authors (Gilmor, 2005; Rosen, 2008) as one of the traditional journalism greatest challenges, the so called "citizen journalism" is far from delivering its original promises. Regardless of their location and dimension, some of the most promising online media projects developed by citizens or created with this aim, lost their initial dynamic or closed down completely. In Portugal, the online versions of the major daily newspapers also created sections for citizens participation, some of them using the word "journalism" or "reporter" in their denomination. But can we consider "journalism" the texts published on these spaces? To answer this and other questions, an analysis of contents published by readers in the specific sections of four Portuguese daily newspapers was carried out. The main goal is to verify if there are characteristic elements in journalistic practice, i.e. if citizens do journalism in the spaces denominated as "citizen's journalism". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Journalists have traditionally focused on a small range of elite sources. Far less attention went to ordinary or common people, resulting in little visibility for that community in news output. However, bottom-up Web 2.0 technologies have given common people new communication tools, allowing them to disperse information autonomously. This has made traditional news media aware of a public desire for bottom-up participation in the news production process. Accordingly, some news media have begun to offer their own participation features. Bearing this context in mind, we address the question whether Web 2.0 has helped increase the visibility and importance of the common people in daily news output. Via a content analysis of five Flemish newspapers, the current representation of ordinary citizens is compared to a decade ago, before the appearance Web 2.0. The analysis shows that citizens appear more prominently in the news nowadays. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The author comments on the the challenges emerged in Syria as part of the Arab Spring as domestic and foreign journalists are target by the regime of Bashar al-Assad. The author says that foreign journalists have been forced to take an approach to tell story in Syria, while local journalists are repressed by the government. She cites Syrian man Hasan Ali Akleh who drenched himself with gasoline and lit a match in protest of the oppressive governance of al-Assad in late January 2011.

Recently, Politics & Policy published an article presenting our findings that reveal President Barack Obama received something of a media honeymoon in The New York Times, a sharp contrast from that influential newspaper's first-year coverage of Reagan, Clinton, and George W. Bush. Our findings triggered a thoughtful column concerning political coverage by the Times' public editor, Arthur S. Brisbane, which in turn led to extensive online discussions of media bias. In the interest of continuing this discussion and encouraging more substantive, even-handed, and informative news in the ongoing presidential campaign, this short response offers suggestions about what we regard as the two key problems of contemporary journalism: that the media are too focused on the sports of politics ('the horse-race') at the expense of issue-based coverage, and that media outlets sometimes play favorites in the tone of coverage. Related Articles [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the perceived credibility of citizen-produced news among young adults, with particular focus on internet news web sites "The Huffington Post," "CNN.com" and "Patch.com." The authors present a study in which they survey college students on news credibility. Their research findings include that the students did not differentiate between news articles that were written by professional journalists or an untrained citizen, that readers usually do not care about the professional norms that go into writing a news article, and that students who trust the mainstream media assigned higher credibility to news content.

The article discusses U.S. legal protections for citizen journalists such as bloggers as of May 2012, focusing on a call for the U.S. Congress to enact a federal shield law to protect an individual's right to refuse to identify confidential sources. The U.S. Supreme Court case Branzburg v. Hayes is addressed, along with several other legal cases which have implemented a qualified constitutional privilege for citizen journalists.

This research examines whether people who contribute to local news sites achieve feelings of community typically associated with America's 'Third Places' (an Oldenburg, 1991, term that refers to the coffee shops, libraries and other community gathering spots). The article posits that some so-called 'citizen journalists' find that they enhance their individual fulfillment, empowerment over information and local communal connections when they contribute to local news sites and blogs online. The research also explored why some otherwise motivated people remain non-contributors. Four realms of tension inhibit full engagement-perceptions of a social collective, authority over information, temporal confusion, and a spatial discomfort between physical and virtual worlds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the issue of transparency in the newsgathering of the information in blog journalism. At first, the text speaks of the newsgathering in journalistic blogs, then focus on the way here called "transparent newsgathering", which is to reveal the usual route taken to get the information used for posting. Finally, we conclude pointing out how a transparent newsgathering in cyberspace can contribute to producing a better journalism [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to emphasize the complexity of the news production process, the convergence and divergence of blogging from traditional journalism, the relationship of citizens emerging as producers of journalism, the role of journalism in the new media landscape, and the growing influence of blogs on users. We seek to contribute to a wider understanding of contextual and cultural influences on the proliferation of news providers on the Internet, the nature of the challenges that alternative journalism presents to the mainstream, the value of participatory media production, the factual nature of news, and the social construction of news. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using time series analysis to gauge intermedia agenda setting in a sample of eighteen U.S. political blogs, two elite traditional news entities, and their eleven political newsroom blogs across three issues in 2007, this study reveals that traditional media were unable to set political blog agendas. Ideologically diverse political blog networks were also able to set traditional media's online news agenda, and, to a lesser extent, their newsroom blog agenda. Findings point to a dilution of traditional media's singular agenda-setting influence and to greater interdependence between traditional media and political blogs than suggested by hyperlink studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Television networks in many European countries have launched web participation channels in recent years, so that viewers can send a variety of news content. For some authors, they are a new form of "citizen journalism"; a more proper term for this concept, it is argued, seems to be "user generated content". This article deals with the essential aspects of this kind of participatory journalism in television websites, by analysing the initiatives of several television networks in Spain, Great Britain and France. It examines the nature of user generated content in those television websites case studies, and it enquires to what extent these initiatives can be regarded as "citizen journalism" and what kind of content they promote. Finally, it explores the challenges and opportunities posed by citizen journalism and user generated content to professional online television news. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

News-oriented bloggers have contributed much to the public sphere in recent years. Whether or not bloggers are considered journalists and thereby are protected by shield laws will be an important question for policy makers and the courts. This paper provides an overview of the law concerning the constitutional and statutory privileges accorded journalists. It then critiques proposals to create a federal journalist's privilege as applied to bloggers. Finally, the paper argues that the test articulated in Von Bulow v. Von Bulow should be adopted in federal legislation. Under Von Bulow, bloggers would be shielded from disclosing confidential sources and information when they function as journalists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mass media in the USA have hosted news content and delivered audiences to advertisers. While advertiser support for traditional news media has been dropping, activities of online 'citizen journalists' have been on the rise. A key question for both traditional news organizations and citizen journalists is who will pay for online news. In-depth interviews were used to gain insight into consumer understanding of changes in the relationship between news and advertising as both adapt to the online environment. Three types of news and advertising users emerged: engagers, receivers, and avoiders. The research also identified three approaches to user-generated content: broad participation, participation primarily in interpersonal exchanges, and avoidance. Implications are discussed for how these consumer perceptions and activities might shape future funding of online news. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article highlights the role of the Internet in press freedom and how the press is being obliged to use script for reporting. Fact checking of news reports is hardly made by editors due to deadlines that must be met, but bloggers are able to detect mistakes, deception and manipulations produced through computer software like Photoshop. Bloggers are now encouraged to question the reporting style and decisions of the press as learned from the case about the reprinting of "Jyllands-Posten" cartoons on "The New York Times." Other issues discussed are the sharing of information from unapproved sites and topics and the role of citizen journalists.

A content analysis of 86 citizen blog sites, 53 citizen news sites and 63 daily newspaper sites indicated that citizen journalism sites, including both news and blog sites, differed significantly from newspaper sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article looks at international reporting in the age of participatory media. The authors cite the protest of the 2009 elections in Iran and the attempts of the government to stop the protests by arresting the instigators and controlling media coverage of the events. News reports, however, were made by Iranian citizen reporters who posted videos of breaking news on Web sites. The authors also discussed how traditional news outlets such as CNN and "The New York Times" embraced such citizen reports. The article also discusses technological advances that have helped news outlets reduce the cost of overseas reporting.

People may utilize various sources when searching for health information, including blogs. This study sought to describe the nature of non-personal journal health and medical blog posts and the frequency of interactive blog feature use within these blogs, as well as to understand the quality of content found within health and medical blogs as determined by blogger expertise and blog host. A quantitative content analysis was performed on 398 blog posts from a constructed 1-week sample of posts in WebMD, Yahoo!Health Expert Blogs, and independently hosted blogs. Results show most health and medical blog posts highlighted and provided commentary pertaining to medical issues found in external media such as books, television, Web sites, magazines, and newspapers, whereas only 16% contained actual health or medical information. In addition, distinct differences in patterns of content were evident between credentialed and noncredentialed bloggers, as well as different blog hosts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the author discusses incorporating social media in professional news. He notes that there are much debate on the part of citizen reporters to the changing environment of news. He mentions that the emergence of citizen journalism, which was further fueled by social networks, has encountered hostility in some sectors. Moreover, he explores the advantages and disadvantages of integrating citizen journalists' works into professional news.