Citizen Journalism Research Articles

Transnational Citizen Journalism for Resistance and Solidarity: The Case of a Sinophone Community on Instagram

This study focuses on a new trend in journalism, which we conceptualize as transnational citizen journalism. We argue that the diasporic and transnational production and consumption of alternative and counter-hegemonic information by nonprofessional individuals have sparked fresh imaginations and opened up new spaces for journalism, particularly in authoritarian contexts. We specifically examine several prominent transnational citizen journalism projects that played a significant role in the large-scale protests against China’s stringent Covid-zero policy in late 2022. Through a content analysis of the multimodal content posted on these projects’ Instagram accounts, and semistructured interviews with account creators, we argue that these transnational citizen journalism projects have built a solidarity infrastructure, connecting individuals and communities who share the value of challenging authoritarianism but come from different localities and backgrounds. Its foundation rests on the passion of diasporic creators for their native country, the engagement of a largely youthful audience with public affairs, and a global platform enabling transnational information flow. This network also extends to international communities opposing oppression in nations such as Iran and Russia.

Heritage volunteerism, cultural journalism and participatory placemaking: insights from ‘European Heritage Times’ and Erzgebirge cultural landscape

This study investigates the impact of collaborative creative approaches and voluntary work in the heritage domain, particularly exploring how participatory journalism can involve young volunteers pursuing serious leisure careers. The investigation utilises concepts from citizen humanities, participatory informal placemaking, and serious leisure theory to explore the potential advantages of engaging in voluntary heritage-related activities for both serious leisure volunteers and applied World Heritage Sites. These activities encompass visits to historic locations, short-term stays in heritage sites, and participation in experiential and formative programs. Furthermore, the study explores the effects of this volunteering process on transformation, highlighting both the volunteerism and placemaking aspects of the learning-making process. The researcher, serving as both a serious leisure volunteer and participatory action researcher, employs the editorial project ‘The European Heritage Times’ to assess the impact of this process on volunteers and the heritage sector, as well as on informal placemaking within the applied cultural context of Erzgebirge.

Shared anthropology of the Middle East: Essays on media in honor of Faye Ginsburg

AbstractThe articles in this special issue are the outcome of the panel: “Papers in Honor of Faye Ginsburg: Visual and Media Anthropology in the Middle East,” which was held virtually for the American Anthropological Association Annual Meetings of November 2021. The reach of Ginsburg's work as well as her mentorship through the creation of NYU's Graduate Program in Culture & Media has shaped the ethnography of media and visual anthropology across a diversity of geographic regions. In this particular issue, we bring together scholars of SWANA (Southwest Asia and North Africa, a term that more broadly encompasses what is often referred to as the Middle East) whose projects are deeply influenced by Ginsburg's scholarship on shared anthropology, collaborative media practices and cultural activism. This introduction includes excerpts from a conversation with Ginsburg.

'Political Role in Journalism': Issues and Challenges in Nepal and Beyond

This paper examines the intricate connection between politics and journalism, highlighting the difficulties and effects of political influence on journalistic practices. The study shows, through a review of the, statement of problem, study of object and literature, that political beliefs have a major influence on media narratives, which frequently results in skewed reporting. The study is dependence of self-censorship, especially in authoritarian regimes. The crucial role that journalism plays in influencing public opinion and its consequences for democratic processes are also covered in this essay. It also draws attention to the difficulties that journalists encounter in politically delicate situations, such as censorship, physical threats, and legal constraints. The results highlight the necessity for journalistic independence and integrity to support democratic processes, as well as the dual role that media plays as a safeguard for democracy and a possible conduit for political influence. The study highlights the role that independent journalism plays in defending democratic norms in Nepal and notes the challenges that journalists confront in upholding impartiality and moral standards in the face of political polarization.

Status of Elderly People in Chandragiri Municipality of Kathmandu

This paper examines the intricate connection between politics and journalism, highlighting the difficulties and effects of political influence on journalistic practices. The study shows, through a review of the, statement of problem, study of object and literature, that political beliefs have a major influence on media narratives, which frequently results in skewed reporting. The study is dependence of self-censorship, especially in authoritarian regimes. The crucial role that journalism plays in influencing public opinion and its consequencesfor democratic processes are also covered in this essay. It also draws attention to the difficulties that journalists encounter in politically delicate situations, such as censorship, physical threats, and legal constraints. The results highlight the necessity for journalistic independence and integrity to support democratic processes, as well as the dual role that media plays as a safeguard for democracy and a possible conduit for political influence. The study highlights the role that independent journalism plays in defending democratic norms in Nepal and notes the challenges that journalists confront in upholding impartiality and moral standards in the face of political polarization.

An affordable operational oil spill monitoring system in action: A diachronic multiplatform analysis of recent incidents in the southern Gulf of Mexico

The coexistence of marine sensitive areas with the oil industry requires robust preparedness and rapid response capabilities for monitoring and mitigating oil spill events. Scientifically proven satellite-based methods for the visual detection of oil spills are widely recognized as effective, low-cost, transferable, scalable, and operational solutions, particularly in developing economies. Following meticulous design and implementation, we adopted and executed a relatively low-cost operational monitoring and alert system for oil spill detection over the ocean surface and alert issuance. We analyzed over 1500 satellite images, issuing over 70 warning reports on oil slicks and spills in the southern Gulf of Mexico. To assess the system’s efficiency and performance, we leveraged data from three major oil spill incidents in the study region during June and July of 2023 in the study region, covering a maximum area of 669 km2 and tracked for 12 to 24 days. We documented the evolution of these oil spills by integrating satellite sensing data with on-site Lagrangian drifting buoys, a network of high-frequency radars, and citizen reports to validate the outcomes of this system. We generated timely technical information on the spill’s evolution, informing decision-makers and local community leaders to strengthen their mitigation response capabilities. Additionally, we developed a robust database with spectral and spatiotemporal features of satellite-detected oil, thereby contributing to advancing the scientific understanding of sea surface dynamics related to natural and anthropogenic oil sources. This study also highlights immediate-, medium-, and long-term research agendas and establishes a reference for a sustained, transferable, and operational oil spill monitoring system.

Who Gets Paid (for) What? The Cultural Political Economy of News Content in Generative AI

One of the key controversies that generative artificial intelligence (AI) has recently stirred was whether compensation is due for the copyrighted materials used to train AI models. This article explores the logic, trajectories, and dynamics of content generation, including news, through generative AI in two distinctive yet intertwined domains. Guided by a cultural political economy approach, it examines how both the political context (validation/legitimation of AI-generated news content by established news media) and the economic context (use of unpaid and underpaid labor in the forms of freely scraped data and data annotation work) shape the deployment of news content on AI models. It further untangles how the space for serious, independent journalism may shrink, as big tech companies’ algorithmic technologies emerge as a solution to contemporary problems in journalism. A clear danger here is that AI companies’ proprietary algorithms, language training models, and value-laden parameters are incompatible with journalism's democratic obligations and responsibilities.

Public Perception of Hate Speech on Social Media (Facebook) during the 2023 General Elections in Nigeria

In the contemporary global landscape, the advent of information and communication technology has interconnected societies, fostering increased civic engagement. Notably, social media platforms, a manifestation of this technological innovation, play a vital role in political discourse, drawing active participation from politicians, political parties, and their supporters. However, the utilization of these platforms in the context of electoral campaigns, particularly in nations like Nigeria, has raised concerns due to the dissemination of political information carrying adverse repercussions. This study delves into the examination of the public's perceptions regarding hate speech on Facebook during Nigeria's 2023 general elections. Employing a survey research strategy and leveraging convenient sampling, data were collected from residents within the geographical scope of Kwali Area Council, Abuja, Nigeria. The research framework drew upon the public sphere theory to elucidate its core objectives. Findings underscored the prevalence of hate speech on Facebook during the 2023 elections, attributing it to factors such as financial inducements, conspiracies, lack of citizen journalist training, religious interests, and sectional, tribal, and political influences. Notably, Facebook emerged as a platform for disseminating speeches that fueled animosity toward politicians, tribes, religions, and sections, instigating widespread antipathy without substantial knowledge of the targeted individuals or candidates. The research also highlighted the use of Facebook for insults, harassment, and the propagation of divisive narratives, contributing to tribal and religious conflicts, heightened tensions, attacks, disparities, and internal discord. This study's implications suggest a potential undermining of Nigeria's democratic progress. As a remedy, the study advocates for the responsible and positive use of social media platforms by users, especially during critical events such as elections.

Geographic, ecological, and temporal patterns of seabird mortality during the 2022 HPAI H5N1 outbreak on the island of Newfoundland

Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 caused mass mortality of wildlife across the North Atlantic in 2022. Following European outbreaks, the first North American case was detected on the island of Newfoundland, Canada in November 2021, before spreading throughout North America. During the following summer, Newfoundland and surrounding islands (NFLD) experienced one of the most significant mortalities in Canadian provinces, with seabirds being the most affected taxa. From surveys and citizen reports, we estimate that 13517 mortalities that can be attributed to HPAI occurred in NFLD from April to September 2022. Most estimated mortalities were among Northern Gannets (Morus bassanus, Linnaeus, 1758) (6596), Common Murres (Uria aalge, Pontoppidan, 1763) (5992), Atlantic Puffins (Fratercula arctica, Linnaeus, 1758) (282), and Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla, Linnaeus, 1758) (217). Mortality reports moved from west to east along the southern then eastern NFLD coast and peaked in July and August. We formulated exploratory hypotheses regarding traits that could contribute to infection and mortality. Species differences in mortality most strongly associated with inter-nest distance, breeding phenology, and at-sea overlap with allospecifics from other colonies. Unprecedented seabird mortality and ongoing transmission within the circulating avian influenza viruses highlight the need for continued monitoring and development of conservation strategies.

The Future in Journalism and Mass Communication India

Journalism is assembling, handling and spread of news and data identified with the news to a group of people. The word applies to both the technique for inquisitive for news and the abstract style which is utilized to spread it. Mass communication is the investigation of how people and elements transfer data through broad communications to vast fragments of the populace in the meantime. International Journal of Media Journalism and Mass Communications (IJMJMC) is an internationally peer reviewed academic journal that publishes recent advancements in the field of Media Journalism and Mass Communications. We publish articles on topics like Media studies, Media influence, Communication studies, Social science, Citizen Journalism, Creative nonfiction, Journalism ethics and standards, Journalism genres, Non-profit journalism, Corporate media, Journalistic professionalism, Media balance, Media bias Peace Journalism, Social dynamics, Political commentary etc.

Accommodating Journalism in Authoritarian Political Regimes. The Interventionist and Loyal-Facilitator Roles in Cuba and Venezuela

ABSTRACT This study examines the relationship between accommodating journalism and journalistic roles in authoritarian regimes, focusing on Cuba and Venezuela. Through content analysis of news from influential media outlets in both countries, the study assesses professional roles including loyal facilitator, watchdog, civic, infotainment, service, and interventionist roles. In particular this study aims to measure the presence of the loyal-facilitator and interventionist roles in the media of Cuba and Venezuela; to explore potential differences between both countries; and to contrast whether media ownership influences the performance of interventionist and loyal facilitator roles. Findings show similar patterns, but they especially indicate significant differences between Cuba and Venezuela, with Cuban journalism showing higher prevalence of interventionist and loyal facilitator roles, while the other roles are more frequent in Venezuelan journalism. Media ownership can also influence the adoption of journalistic roles: while in Cuba accommodating discourses are not only dominant in state-owned media, in the case of Venezuela private and civil society media tend to show a more critical discourse compared to state-owned ones. These findings contribute to understanding journalistic roles in authoritarian regimes, supporting the existence of accommodating journalism in these contexts, but with a somewhat more independent journalism in Venezuela.

Model Komunikasi Persuasif Pada Pengikut Akun Instagram @infogarut Dalam Pemberitaan Citizen Journalism

Social media as an interactive platform for citizen journalism is increasingly important in the growing internet era. The focus of the research is the Instagram account @infogarut, as a citizen journalism platform in Garut. The purpose of this research is to find out how persuasive communication on @infogarut account followers related to citizen journalism news in the central route and peripheral route. This research method uses descriptive method with qualitative approach. The theory used is persuasive communication theory with the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) model. Data collection techniques were carried out through interviews, observation of literature study and documentation. The results showed that the central route creates respondents who are involved and check facts and analyze information in depth before forming an opinion or taking action. The peripheral route in turn creates respondents who are more passive readers and only receive information without detailed analysis. The @infogarut account is known for providing the latest facts and information about Garut. This study provides insight into how citizen journalism on social media, especially Instagram, can influence the way people interact and react to information.

Unveiling Counter-Narratives: The Impact of Citizen Journalism via Social Media on the Israel-Palestine Conflict

The Israel-Palestine conflict has traditionally been portrayed by mainstream media through dominant narratives that often align with specific viewpoints and agendas. In this context, the rise of citizen journalism has introduced both challenges and opportunities by providing alternative perspectives and counter-narratives to mainstream representations. However, the precise impact and role of citizen journalism in shaping these counter-narratives during the Israel-Palestine confrontations remain underexplored and require further investigation. Therefore, this study aims to examine how citizen journalism is utilized to offer alternative perspectives on the mainstream media’s coverage of the Israel-Palestine conflict and to influence public perception of products and services associated with Israel. The study finds that social media has amplified the reach of citizen journalism, serving as a platform for digital activism among Palestinians, and providing alternative narratives to those presented by mainstream media. This has enabled Palestinians to garner support from international allies, condemn the violence committed by Israeli military forces, and contribute to Israel's gradual loss in the battle of public opinion, thereby limiting the effectiveness of Israeli propaganda in both mainstream and new media.

Citizen journalism and news objectivity: Issues, challenges and solutions

Citizen journalism and news objectivity: Issues, challenges and solutions

Understanding animal-oriented social media collaboration in Australia’s 2019–20 bushfire crisis

Understanding animal-oriented social media collaboration in Australia’s 2019–20 bushfire crisis

Citizen journalism revisited: A case study of Kenya’s kibera news network

In an evolving media landscape, the prominence and influence of citizen journalism has grown markedly, challenging historical norms and providing alternative narratives. While traditional journalism has been guided by objectivity, autonomy, and ethics, its representation has been questioned, especially in marginalised communities like Kibera, a neighbourhood in Nairobi, Kenya. Scholars have shed light on the transformational role of journalism and the ensuing need for democratisation in its practice, acknowledging the challenge it faces in representing diverse sections of the population. Using Kibera News Network (KNN) as a case study, this mixed methods study looks at the extent to which citizen journalists, despite lacking formal training, uphold and perhaps even redefine traditional journalistic principles. Utilising a qualitative content analysis of KNN videos and in-depth interviews with citizen journalists in Kibera, findings suggest that these citizen journalists exhibit a solid commitment to ethical reporting, emphasising accuracy and fairness, perhaps due to these journalists being citizens in their community—a community that has been marginalised and misrepresented—and thus experience a heightened sense of belonging. KNN citizen journalists also demonstrate high levels of autonomy and journalism ethics and are unburdened by the political and financial pressures that shape some mainstream media narratives. Taken together, findings suggest that the citizen journalist work of KNN contributes to multiple civic outcomes, including neighbourhood belonging and collective efficacy, which leads to civic participation.

The introduction of Geo Wild System (GWS) as a novel wildlife reporting, monitoring, and analyzing system in Malaysia

In Malaysia, escalating human-wildlife conflicts pose significant risks to both human populations and wildlife species, highlighting the need for advanced systems for effective conflict management. This study introduces the Geo Wild System (GWS), a novel Progressive Web Application (PWA) specifically tailored for Malaysian contexts. GWS integrates data from diverse sources, including citizen reports, park rangers, and licensed hunters, and employs Geographic Information System (GIS) tools to enhance data visualization and identify conflict hotspots. During the study period from January to June 2024, GWS recorded and facilitated the deployment of 117 traps across six districts: Shah Alam, Hulu Selangor, Sungai Besar, Hulu Langat, Georgetown, and Seberang Prai. These deployments, based on reported conflict data, resulted in the capture of 88 wildlife individuals, including 85 long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis), two wild boars (Sus scrofa), and one Asian palm civets (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), demonstrating the system's operational effectiveness. GWS supports a comprehensive reporting, monitoring, and analysis system, utilizing GIS-based Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) to pinpoint critical conflict hotspots, particularly in rapidly urbanizing areas. User feedback was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the system’s user-friendliness and robust data integration. Despite initial deployment challenges and geodetic constraints, GWS has proven to be a valuable tool for mitigating wildlife conflicts, enabling informed, timely management responses, and offering a promising approach to adaptive wildlife management in Malaysia.

An apolitical risk assessment of the 2024 US elections: The threat of widespread riots and significant business disruption

Civil disorder has always plagued humanity, with violence being triggered by real or perceived grievances, rumours and speculation, and internal or external agitators. The risk to people, communities, businesses and the rule of law is not isolated to a particular country or society. The propensity for violence and how it is incited is, however, an evolving threat with the advent of the ‘modern riot’. The causes of violence centre on economic and social injustice, sports- and event-related riots, a reaction to police or security forces and political unrest. As the US nears the contentious 2024 elections, the failing trust in the three branches of government combined with external global tensions and conflict, threats from domestic extremist groups, a rising acceptance of violence as a means of settling political disagreements, hostile nation actors and international terror groups that exploit societal instability create fertile conditions for widespread violence. Exacerbating these factors are the risks from artificial intelligence (AI) deepfake, rapid mass communications, the citizen journalist, prominent influencers amplifying grievances and inflammatory media reporting. This convergence of exacerbators and accelerants for political discord offers the potential for serious security risks and significant business disruption.

Innovative Technology Integration in Teaching Practicum: Pre-Service Teachers' Mastery of the TPACK Framework at Universitas Widya Gama Mahakam Samarinda

Consider how Technology has been used in the teaching and learning process. This study aimed to explore PSTs' final practice in practicum integrated into Technology and how they solve the problem if they have it. This research was conducted at Widya Gama Mahakam University. This study focused on PSTs' competence when designing and using Technology in teaching final practice in practicum programs through the TPACK framework. The design of this study was a qualitative study that illustrates the PSTs' competence in integrating Technology in the final practice teaching in the practicum program through TPACK Framework. There were 22 PSTs of seven semesters as the participants. There were three items of instruments. Documents, interviews, Observation, and three PSTs were willing to be interviewees. The study result showed they plan the lesson well before teaching using Technology even though there are slight differences in their performance. The Technology they used, combined with pedagogy and content, varied depending on the state of equipment, facilities, PSTs' abilities, and student levels. PSTs also stated the involvement of supervising teachers was beneficial when they faced difficulties in teaching practice. The Researcher suggested that PSTs design their lesson plan effectively. The teacher preparation program prepares PSTs with technological education skills, and the school provides nondigital or digital technology support, student-centered software, and collaboration media tools.

CREATING HEALTH MEDIA BASED ON SOCIAL MEDIA IN COLLABORATION WITH PUBLIC CENTRE IN MALANG

CREATING HEALTH MEDIA BASED ON SOCIAL MEDIA IN COLLABORATION WITH PUBLIC CENTRE IN MALANG