Re: <nettime> Emergence of Citizen Journalism in the US and Bill Moyers

["tobias c. van Veen" <tobias@techno.ca>]

> The concept of citizen journalism was first popularized by the Korean
> online newspaper OhmyNews.

Ok, I'll take the bait.

I don't mean to question the evidently positive achievements of
OhmyNews, but it would appear that 'citizen journalism' has been
around for much, much longer than 2000. One could say citizen
journalism is the condition in which 'journalism' as a profession
sprung forth, if one takes the birth of the newspaper into account in
the 18th century. And certainly in more recent examples, everything
from '60s counterculture publications such as Rolling Stone and
Spider to '80s DiY 'zines, the longstanding campus and community
radio networks worldwide to the birth of IndyMedia circa 1997
in Seattle/Vancouver are all outstanding examples of 'citizen
journalism'. Unless 'citizen journalism' is some kind of reinvigorated
and totally new meaning as well as historical context that diverts
from this lineage? I get the impression here that citizen journalism
as defined by Ohmynews (with its CEO) has more to do with setting up
institutional counter-institutions and thus sees itself as the founder
of 'citizen journalism' on a broad scale, but then wouldn't it be
necessary to question as to what basis one is engaging in 'citizen
journalism' with this kind of institutional hierarchy?

Glad to see Bill Moyer back on PBS mind you.

Mornin' Nettime.

tV



tobias c. van Veen -----------++++
http://www.quadrantcrossing.org --
McGill Communication & Philosophy






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