Citizen journalists: They don’t need to be regulated
Posted on December 14, 2007 - Filed Under media |
In a strong counter-argument to the story that appeared in yesterday’s Atlanta Journal Constutition, Professor Lenard Witt outlines the reasons why citizen journalists do not require regulation.
Yesterday on Blogflict, we blogged about the David Hazinski article, and took a critical viewpoint. Many other bloggers joined in and were equally if not more critical.
We hope this begins a larger discussion on the topic. Clearly its time has come. Recent comments made by the emminent reporter, Helen Thomas, to the Huffington Post were dissapointing:
Sphere: Related ContentQ: Do you think technology is changing [journalism]? That a good reporter will always find a venue because there are so many media outlets now?
Thomas: No, but I do think it is kind of sad when everybody who owns a laptop thinks they’re a journalist and doesn’t understand the ethics. We do have to have some sense of what’s right and wrong in this job. Of how far we can go. We don’t make accusations without absolute proof. We’re not prosecutors. We don’t assume.
Q: So if there’s this amateur league of journalists out there, trying to do what you do…
Thomas: It’s dangerous.Â
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I have a laptop, but they dont let me sit in the first row of the white house press room and pretend to ask tough questions while the truth goes over my head each day. Wait, they dont even let me into the press room - and i have a laptop - a dell - it works great, it was wifi and everything!
Interesting site! I’m excited to see more of this in 2008! First eBay, then Google, now iConflict….improving the internet that Al Gore invented!