We Media

June 11, 2005 9:18 PM

We Media: "This report details the important considerations when exploring a collaborative effort between audience and traditional media organizations." A look at participatory journalism from the Media Center at the American Press Institute.
posted by OmieWise (2 comments total)

Nice link... There are different opinions about whether the internet will ultimately consolidate power of the ruling structures or actually strengthen participatory democracy by increasing access to information. The development of this sort of collective journalism seems to be an important event, especially against the backdrop of our current problems getting important news covered (e.g. Downing St.). I haven't read too much of the piece, but I think there's a possibility for the diffusion of "truth" when you have limitless sources of information of dubious legitimacy.. that's one potential drawback.
posted by mert at 9:49 AM on June 12, 2005

"Participatory journalism is a bottom-up, emergent
phenomenon in which there is little or no
editorial oversight or formal journalistic work-
flow dictating the decisions of a staff. Instead, it
is the result of many simultaneous, distributed
conversations that either blossom or quickly atrophy
in the Web’s social network (see Figure 1.1
– Top-down vs. Bottom-up)." ( from "We Media" )

Says who ? That is not an especially visionary treatment. Why can't participatory journalism involve a fusion of bottom-up participation and top-down editorial oversight ?

Maybe that limited framing of the possibilities was intentional. Participatory journalism, as so defined in the "We Media" piece, would not present a direct challenge to traditional institutions of news and journalism.

The report is - after all - published under the auspices of the American Press Institute.
posted by troutfishing at 2:07 PM on June 12, 2005