Media Professionals Want a Definition for Citizen Journalists

One emerging concern expressed by media professionals at today’s seminar was the need to examine and define the role of the citizen journalist who are persons, who report, analyze and impart information but are not trained journalists. The main concern expressed is the accountability and credibility of the recent trend of social media news. Our colleague from T.H.G. Nework in St. Kitts and Nevis explains.

Tamiesha Rochester, Project Officer, IMPACT Justice

Tamiesha Rochester

 “Citizen journalist may not be a term that we like but we have to accept that it is out there. We are the average ,an on the street, man and woman can just take up a camera or take up anything or device and record someone whether audio recording or video recording and put it out there in social media or wherever. So it is kind of discomforting for journalist but I think it is also a wakeup call that we have to ensure that we cover all our bases and make sure that our work is of such a high standard that persons will always come to us rather than the citizen journalist because they know that we are the credible sources. Now in terms of IMPACT Justice I Mena there isn’t more that it can so in terms of taking away the whole term of citizen journalist that can’t happen. What I do believe it can do whoever is facilitate training for persons who show an interest in journalism but they are not officially trained so maybe you can facilitate some internship, put them with real journalist and they can get training. And that way when they do their “citizen journalism” it is of some credibility, it holds some credibility.”