Are there ‘new kinds of journalist’ online? If so, how so?
Meikle reading: paragraph 9
Meikle suggests that there is an “ongoing shift in the boundary of what constitutes newsmakers”. Indymedia is a movement which does move the boundaries of who constitutes a ‘journalist’ or who gets to make the news. It is independent and self managing and John Downing defines it as “politically dissident media that offers radical alternatives to mainstream debate”. I think that the Indymedia movement provides a platform for a new kind of journalist online; it provides a network of journalists who use open publishing and democratic media method which allows anyone to have their say. Meikle describes Indymedia as “a forum for non-professional journalists” (paragraph 10).
A journalist is somebody who writes, commentates on or reports news. I think that there are definitely new kinds of journalist online, aside from mainstream news sites and indymedia. Mark Deuze says that “millions of individual users
and special interest groups have used the internet as an outlet for their news”
Personal websites and blogs, although a controversial type of journalism, are one way people become journalists. People can give their opinion, as news, to the world. Blogs are often kept very up-to-date and provide a different spin on current affairs. One example of a new type of online journalist is Perez Hilton, who became an American household name for his blogging about Hollywood happenings and celebrities.
Another form of online journalism is index and category sites. This is where journalists provide links to existing news sites, rather than presenting their own editorial content. A bulletin board system is usually in place on these types of journalism sites. Meta- and comment sites are also seen as online journalism. This can be seen as “journalism about journalism” and is sometimes projected as a ‘media watchdog’. One final type of online journalism is share and discussion sites. This type of online journalism sees the internet as “’just a communications infrastructure” (Rushkoff, 2000) providing a place to swap ideas, stories etc.
Not everybody will agree that all of these types of journalism are credible, but seeing as a journalist is someone who writes, commentates or reports on the news it can’t be denied that they are forms of journalism.
Deuze, M. (2003) “The Web and its Journalisms: Considering the Consequences of Different Types of Newsmedia Online”, New Media and Society, volume 5, pages 203-229.
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I like that you've not only stated whether you think these new journalists exist and why, but you've actually listed where.
ReplyDeleteI also looked at Perez Hilton and ha can be quite a controversial journalist, he gossips and that’s about it. But, after deeper thought I guess he is a commercial journalist, someone who in the print equivalent would be writing for Hello or OK magazines.
ReplyDeleteI agree, i had heard of Perez Hilton before and knew he worte a blog, but i had never looked at it, so i did for this task. I do agree, what he writes is just gossip and his opinion on celebrities but like you said, its what all the weekly magazines print anyway, and they are classed as a form of journalism.
ReplyDeleteDo you think there can be other forms of online journalism ? Other than the two we have discussed ?
ReplyDeleteFrom my research i found the other types of online journalism to be index and category sites and meta- and comment sites, however i wouldn't say that this is journalism as i dont think providing links and not actually writing anything can be classed as journalism.
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