THE PEOPLE - CITIZEN JOURNALISM

Hypothesis: 

My initial guess of what CITIZEN JOURNALISM is, is that it is the conveying of news by ordinary people that are not tied down by any corporate media company. The citizen journalist is not formally trained in the discourse of professional journalism. However,  I also think freelancers or independently qualified journalists can be citizen journalists if they are free from the journalistic constraints of a media company. A citizen journalist publish their material via internet technology such as blogs, twitter, forums and websites. A citizen journalist is, on globalised level, free to write, think, feel and speak about what they want without (usually) any bastard censorship or control from governments, media companies or the influences of news values.

That is what my initial guess of what citizen journalism is, lets see how close I am. 

Okay, well i've decided to divide my answers drawn from my research citizen journalism into the 5 Ws (and 1 H) formula used in journalism. For you folk who are not aware what the 5 Ws (and 1 H) is, it is basically the concept of answering the simple questions; Who? What? When? Where? Why? and lastly, How? All these simple answers correlated to create a larger unified answer. So yeah, it's pretty simple and dandy - and a research formula typically used in journalism but just for the sake of a red-herring, it is also used interestingly in police investigations (according to wikipedia ).

Who are Citizen Journalists?

Everyone; you, possibly your grandma and I.

Basically, anyone has POTENTIAL to be a citizen journalist, in some respects it is democratic, as generally everyone has an opportunity to have their voice heard on politics, international news or even which new underwear is ideal for big ladies. Moreover, everyone has the chance to convey their voice or perspective of news events, despite the contraints of their demographics whether they are pink or green,  a serious Sam or easy-going Greg, anorexic or obese, dirt poor or rolling-in-it wealthy, Spanglish speakers or not, an Estonian or Canadian Eskimo, a barrister or a desperate housewife, you get my point - anyone can be a citizen journalism.

Moreover, my research has concluded that citizen journalists are typically freelancers who are not connected to a media company, government or political party. THEY ARE INDEPENDENT. They usually work for themselves or voluntary participate in citizen journalism without any intention to attain of money or capital.

Where are Citizen Journalists from?

Everywhere; Sydney, Timbuktu and Mongolia.

Citizen Journalists are from all over the WORLD from Mexico to Madagascar. Furthermore,  citizen journalism is a form of globalisation where, for example, an Australian blog on how to be more environmentally friendly at home could help educate an American who would like to be more environmentally friendly.

How is Citizen Journalism created and conveyed?

Technology

Citizen Journalism is created and conveyed through contemporary DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY such as digital cameras, computers (obviously!), camera mobile phones and smartphones via CONTEMPORARY TELECOMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY such as the INTERNET which conveys information through websites (like twitter and wikipedia), video sites (like youtube), blogs (like blogger),  podcasts, emails, online radio-stations and many more. For example, a tourist who takes photographs of the devastation of a hurricane through their mobile phone and emails them to a wire network is more of a citizen journalist than a environmentalist blogger who writes about the hurricane's devastation as an effect of global warming.

Why are people Citizen Journalists?  

Specifically, people become citizen journalists because they have an INTEREST or SUPPORT for A CAUSE OR SUBJECT they want the world or a specific audience to hear, read and see in order to persuade, inform or merely entertain them. Citizen journalists are free from the contrainst of news values and therefore are free to write what they want, like this wierd blog by a Swede on Knitting which surprisingly gets hits.

I tend to think some people are forced to be citizen journalists so that they can pass an assessment. Hint. Hint. 

On a slightly, more serious note, I found that in some extreme circumstances people are FORCED to become citizen journalists as freedom of speech does not exist in their nation or their nation's government places heavy censorship that restricts the not only an INDEPENDENT MEDIA but the flow of opinion, information and even the TRUTH. For example, the blog, Iran Election Stories From Friends and Family explores what life was like in totalitarian Iran during and after the recent controversial presidential elections last july by exploring the opinions and stories of ordinary Iranians.

However, I also found that people also become citizen journalists because they were in the WRONG PLACE at the WRONG TIME as seen with ordinary people submitting videos of the recent devastating tsunami's in American Samoa.

When is Citizen Journalism created and conveyed? 

All the time; at this present moment.

Finally... 
What is Citizen Journalism? 

Haha... For the answer just see my hypothesis above.

PEACE OUT ALL

All images in this post are from www.wikimedia.org and are all released under a CC liscense.