Nine Network: My Kid's a Star Citizen journalism is most easily defined as “non journalists committing random acts of journalism,” (Williams, 2006). Web 2.0 has encouraged the advancement of communication tools, and the way societies use these; it is becoming increasingly easier for people to participate in citizen journalism through the use of websites like citizenjourno and blogs. These online tools are giving individuals the power to voice their opinion on many topics, most notably current news, politics and media.
Recently, Channel Nine created an Australian version of reality television show, My Kid’s a Star. Ten young performers and their stage parents enter a Biggest Loser-type house and embark on a six week boot camp, the children, aged 9 to 16 are judged by show business agents whom offer (somewhat constructive) criticism. After the first episode aired on April 9, there was large media coverage noting the shows lack of ratings (News Limited, 2008). However, community outrage appeared in the form of blogs (TV Tonight and Ali’s Television Blog) and through public comments on articles in websites (such as news.com.au and The Daily Telegraph) addressing issues civil journalists failed to cover. For instance, judge Marki Costello called one contestant’s clothing ‘slutty’ (see here), parents talk about their children as brands and one nine year old broke down in tears when told they were wearing too much make up. Not only were the parents flagged as child abusers, but the Nine Network was labelled greedy and incompetent (Clune, 2008). Whilst the show is now showed in the less-desirable midday on Saturday timeslot and attracting less media scrutiny, citizen journalists are still voicing public indignation that the show remains on air.
What does citizen journalism mean for the future of television? Other programs have already been held accountable by citizen journalists, Networks Ten’s Teen Fit Camp (nee Teen Fat Camp) had to change its name following media and participatory criticism (Knox, 2008). Ultimately citizen journalists are monitoring media and ensuring transparency and ethically sound principles are held. Citizen journalism also holds advantages for networks and producers, allowing them to see opinions and suggestions by simply searching the Internet. This free criticism can prove priceless for producers in assessing the strengths and weaknesses of their program and by addressing noted flaws, prospective crisis’ can be averted.
Although citizen journalists are not technically ‘qualified’ as journalists, and their blogs and comments are often subjective, it allows “communities to comment on stories and thereby build up a more detailed, communal understanding of [the story’s] background, context and impact, as well as evaluating the information contained in the initial reports and combining or contrasting it with other available information,” (Bruns, 2008, 75). Citizen journalism is influential and efficient though cannot replace the credibility and objective view of traditional media, it does however provide individuals with the power to communicate and express opinions directly to producers and networks.
References
Bruns, A. 2008. News Blogs and Citizen Journalism: Perpetual Collaboration in Evaluating the News. In Blogs, Wikipedia, Second Life and Beyond: From Production to Produsage, 69-99. New York: Peter Lang.
Clune, R. 2008. My Star Kids are being abused. The Daily Telegraph. April 13. http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23529669-5006014,00.html (Accessed May 6, 2008).
Knox, D. 2008. First Review: My Kid’s a Star. April 4. TV Tonight Australia’s Leading Blog. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2008/04/first-review-my-kids-star.html (Accessed May 6, 2008).
News Limited. 2008. My Kid’s a Star latest Nine failing. news.com.au. April 29. http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,26278,23615109-10388,00.html (Accessed May 6, 2008).
Williams, L. 2006. Citizen Journalism – What is it? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58iZpMRclwI&feature=related (Accessed May 6, 2008).
3 comments:
Natalie,
I agree with your thoughts on citizen journalism. It really is an interesting way of publicly commenting on social issues through the internet. Essentially, the citizens do seem to have an idea of what journalism is about with regards to criticism. I guess the internet has really allowed for journalism to exist in an informal environment. There was really no other place for citizens to voice their opinions before the internet, certainly not in any detailed manner that is available in the current blog formats. Though I think what fuels many citizen journalism topics is moral panics. What would be interesting is to see how effective citizen journalism is in relation to cracking down on television content. We are already finding results of how web 2.0 is about citizens and the power of social environments. It would be refreshing to see citizens controlling content even more than open source software enables the power of society. I do however understand that professional journalism holds its credibility over citizens. Yet even CNN, BBC and Time have added blogs to their web content, which proves that the news media have had to adapt their mediums to stay relevant with the ever evolving power of web 2.0. One way citizen journalism has helped society is that more people are engaging and interacting, instead of being passive about the media.
Hey Natalie,
Great blog you’ve got there on citizen journalism! By using the reality television show, My Kid’s a Star, you really scoped in on what this whole term is about with relating to television. My main opinion regarding citizen journalism is that it does give citizens the power to voice their opinions, and of course the internet is mostly the cause of this. But, there is the real journalists that still need to be appreciated, the ones that have scrutinised and researched about issues in the media, which citizen journalists have then gone and wrote their opinion about.
The way you have interlinked this with television is something I think is very prominent in today’s society. Of course, My Kid’s a Star was bound to receive some criticism on the ethical problems associated with putting children in that kind of spotlight. I remember watching that episode where the judge told the little girl she was wearing too much makeup. He was really asking for it when saying that comment wasn’t he? Citizens LOVE the chance of voicing what they think about reality television (mostly negative may I add) and this power that is handed to them is beneficial in building community concerns and effectively dealing with them. I love how you used Axel Bruns’s comment on how citizen journalism “allows communities to comment on stories and thereby build up a more detailed, communal understanding of background, context and impact, as well as evaluating the information constrained in the initial reports and combining or contrasting it with other available information.” (2008, 75). It really summaries the way citizen journalism has indeed changed the way citizens are voicing their opinions.
I agreed totally with everything you have said in your blog, and in particular your last sentence summing up that, although citizen journalism does give people the chance to voice their opinions, it can’t replace the traditional media that has been so faithful to us all.
Well done Natalie. Look forward to reading some more of your work!
Bruns, A. 2008. News Blogs and Citizen Journalism: Perpetual Collaboration in Evaluating the News. In Blogs, Wikipedia, Second Life and Beyond: From Production to Produsage, 69-99. New York: Peter Lang
sorry...and if you get a chance have a look at my blog on citizen journalism!
http://mstephensen.blogspot.com/2008/05/appreciating-hard-work.html
thanks:)
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