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Participatory media is a concept that transforms the classical view of media as a one-way dissemination of content by giving audiences the chance to participate in its creation. It is refered to by different names such as independent, tactical, open. A recent survey by the Economist describes the concept best: "With participatory media, the boundaries between audiences and creators become blurred and often invisible." Through the widespread availability of free software and regular access to the Internet, media is being created at a grassroots level, and audiences are being encouraged to participate in its creation.
Visiting YouTube and more structured sites like current.tv shows just how powerful such media can be. The concept of Citizen Journalism is a good example of where participatory media is going. This section is looking for tools and resources that will enable organizations to create participatory media projects, as well as get involved in pre-existing ones.
[edit] Web-based Resources
11 Levels of Citizen Journalism by Steve Outing
- Description: The Poynter Institute's description and guide to citizen journalism, based on 11 layers thereof.
- Licence: All Rights Reserved
- Comments: It's a very good overview.
- Technical Level: entry
Open publishing is the same as free software by Matthew Arnison
- Description: Seminal essay about media activism, free software and open publishing with a particular emphasis on Indymedia.
- Licence: "You can copy and distribute this article, as long as you include the web address of the original (http://www.cat.org.au/maffew/cat/openpub.html) in a way that the whole audience can see. Please let me know if you do reproduce it somewhere, especially if you make changes to it."
- Technical Level: medium
Useful Sites for Journalists around the world
- Description: A list of resources to aid citizen journalists in their research, with links to dictionary sites, maps, quotation sites and currency converters.
- Licence: All Rights Reserved
- Comments: A great summary of resources that will make your research much easier - all on one webpage!
- Technical Level: entry
Jo's Toolkit
- Description: This website provides resources and tools for journalism students and grassroots/media practitioners in the fields of writing, editing, design, photography, television, radio and new media. Founded by students from the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, the lecturers from this department provide their lecture notes for download on this site, all under a Creative Commons licence.
- Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 South Africa
- Comments: An excellent resource for grassroots media practitioners, especially the 'Tips and Tricks' section provided for all forms of media. This will give you a great background to practically implementing your media skills.
- Technical Level: Medium
Your Guide to Citizen Journalism by Mark Glaser
- Description: The writer states that he aims to give a broad overview of citizen journalism, with plenty of resources, tips and help with learning the jargon on this topic. He certainly achieves this goal, and provides a good list of the terminology and arguments around the definition of what citizen journalism actually is.
- Licence: All Rights Reserved
- Comments: A good summary of the topic.
- Technical Level: entry
A Blogger's code of Ethics by CyberJournalist.net
- Description: What are your responsibilities as a blogger? Your method of publishing is different to run-of-the-mill journalists, so why should bloggers follow the same ethical codes? CyberJournalist.net created a model Bloggers' Code of Ethics, by modifying the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics, as a set of guidelines for responsible bloggers.
- Licence: All Rights Reserved
- Comments: Short and succinct, CyberJournalist.net is open to your comments and suggestions.
- Technical Level: entry to medium
EFF: Legal Guide for Bloggers by the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
- Description: Similar to CyberJournalist.net's codes of ethics, this is much more dense and covering a variety of topics, such as 'The Bloggers' FAQ on Intellectual Property' and 'The Bloggers' FAQ on the Reporter's Privilege'. EFF is a US organisation, so this guide is based on U.S. law, but EFF offers an international guide with links to international resources.
- Licence: All Rights Reserved
- Comments: There is a huge amount of resource here, take some time to read through this and you'll be well informed on your rights.
- Technical Level: medium
- Site: http://www.eff.org/bloggers/lg/ and the International resource: : http://www.eff.org/bloggers/lg/additional.php#international
Citizen Journalism: From Pamphlet to Blog
- Description:In this Bliptv videoblog, blogs are compared to the 'alternative' press of the pamphlet produced in the 1770's. This documentary-style videoblog looks at how citizen journalism is being used for activism and in politics, and how it creates communities across the globe.
- Licence: CC BY-NC-SA
- Comments: Give your mind a rest from all the reading, and take a look at this videoblog - this skims over the basics of definitions, and gives a more in-depth account of how citizen journalism is being used to effect change.
- Technical Level: medium
[edit] Books and Documents
- We the media: Grassroots Journalism by the People, for the People by Dan Gillmor
- Description: Gillmor examines the history of participatory journalism and the emerging citizen journalism movement.
- Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/
- Comments: An excellent look at how readers-turned-reporters are changing the face of journalism and are challenging the power over production held by 'Big Media'.
- Technical Level: entry to medium
Handbook for bloggers and cyber-dissidents by Reporters without borders
- Description: This guide describes how bloggers and others using the internet to transfer or acquire information can bypass firewalls and other obstacles limiting their access to public information.
- Licence: All Rights Reserved
- Comments: It's a very good resource guide. It was an enjoyable read and it applies to a number of categories within this discussion.
- Technical Level: Depends on the articles and instructions. Some are very simple, while others are extremely complicated.
We Media: How audiences are shaping the future of news and information by Shayne Bowman and Chris Willis, edited by J.D. Lasica
- Description: An overview on the rise of participatory journalism, where the 'explosion' of the phenomenon came from and how 'old' media can respond.
- Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
- Comments: A worthwhile and informative read.
- Technical Level: medium
What is Social Media? by Antony Mayfield
- Description: In the author's words, this is an "unashamedly straightforward" look at social media. It gives a broad overview on the tools of social media from blogs, to wikis, to podcasting, social networking sites like MySpace, and Second Life.
- Licence: [CC BY-ND 2.5 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.5]
- Comments: Give this to the technologically-challenged for a no-nonsense update on what's happening in the world of social media, they'd be grateful.
- Technical Level: entry
Reporter’s Guide to Citizen Journalism
- Description: A more in-depth newsletter-style resource. Some of the articles included how 'big media' is increasingly accepting the 'User Generated Content' being sent in by citizen journalists around the world and on how Scoopt picture agency has made money off citizen journalists who use their cameraphones to capture the highs and lows of celebrities out on the town.
- Licence: All Rights Reserved
- Comments: Print this out and read it during your 'off' time, a well-designed format and very informative.
- Technical Level: entry
Hartsville Today: The first year of a small-town citizen-journalism site by Douglas J. Fisher and Graham Osteen
- Description: A 'toolkit' for small daily and non-daily newspapers giving guidelines on how to set up a small-town citizen journalism site.
- Licence: All Rights Reserved
- Comments: Sharing advice and giving feedback on experiences is an invaluable resource, especially for those who are in a similar postion as Hartsville Today.
- Technical Level: entry to medium
Community-based Networks and Innovative Technologies: New models to serve and empower the poor, by Seán Ó Siochrú and Bruce Girard
- Description: A document that discusses community-based ownership versus invest-led ownership of media and cultural forms.
- Licence: All Rights Reserved, UNDP
- Comments: A good introduction without using jargon.
- Technical Level: entry
[edit] Examples of successful participatory media websites
- IndyMedia
- Description: As stated on their site: "Independent Media Center is a network of collectively run media outlets for the creation of radical, accurate, and passionate tellings of the truth."
- Licence: All Rights Reserved
- Comments: A host of stories from the ground from countries around the world and a place where activists can share their photos, stories and video with other activists where ever they may be.
- OhmyNews
- Description: The South Korean online newspaper, OhmyNews' motto is "Every Citizen is a Reporter." And what a fitting description of this website it is. OhmyNews has a formal staff of 55 people, who write only 20% of the content which appears on the site. The rest of the articles are contributed by OhmyNews' 41 000 citizen journalists. OhmyNews has an international section with English reports, and was recently launched in Japan.
- Licence: All Rights Reserved
- Comments: One of the best example of citizen journalism in action, there is a huge multiplicity of voices represented, while maintaining a high standard of reporting. Definitely check this one out!
- Site: OhmyNews: http://www.ohmynews.com/index.asp
- OhmyNews International: http://english.ohmynews.com/
- OhmyNews Japan: http://www.ohmynews.co.jp/
- Global Voices Online
- Description: Global Voices is a non-profit global citizens' media project, which aggregates and amplifies the most interesting information and ideas appearing on blogs, and other forms of participatory media, such as podcasts and videoblogs, from citizen journalists across the world.
- Licence: CC BY 2.5
- Comments: Also a perfect example of participatory media in action and an excellent guide to the best bloggers from different parts of the world.
- For more comprehensive lists see: http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=List_of_citizen_journalism_websites and http://www.cyberjournalist.net/news/002226.php
