How Citizens Contribute to Modern Journalism

Brooke Robinette
brobinette66@gmail.com

With so many platforms from which to speak and video recording devices in their pockets, citizens are contributing to public knowledge and journalism every day. Journalism is, as The Elements of Journalism by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel, states; "...defined not by technology, nor by journalists or the techniques they employ, but by something more basic: the function news plays in the lives of people." The recent large and extended protests by supporters of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement is the latest example of how citizens contribute to journalism and how that news affects lives.

John Minchillo/AP

When the video of George Floyd's death in police custody, filmed by an onlooker in Minneapolis, was released on May 25th it quickly went viral.  By May 27th, protests began to occur across the country with demonstrators demanding murder charges for the arresting officers. By May 29, Derek Chauvin, the officer who held his knee to Floyd's neck in the video, was arrested and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Arrests of the other officers on the scene followed (Deliso, 2020).   These events have affected the lives of many in the nation.  The public still attempts to take a look at how racism affects their views and how these views can be changed. Businesses are supporting BLM messages and books on racism are being consumed by the public in unprecedented numbers. 

The news was sourced and published by a citizen. The meaning and the narrative of these protests were shaped by the news outlets, however. The shaping of the story through these news outlets gave a powerful voice to the movement. The Elements of Journalism says that journalists must understand the contributions of the public and gain "...a more rigorous grasp of the tasks necessary for trained journalists to organize, verify, and add to those contributions". 

Although social media platforms and access to news from the public have changed journalism, The Elements of Journalism points out that there are four basic principles of journalism that continue to apply. The first important role of journalists is to act as an "authenticator". This means that journalists have a responsibility to make clear what is real and what is not. In the example of Floyd's murder, journalists made it clear that this event was real and worthwhile.  The second role is "sense-maker". Journalists must take the news and interpret it for their viewers. This was done by consulting experts about police brutality and racism. Thirdly, journalists must continue to "bear-witness". The public cannot be present at every event and therefore it is important for journalists to witness these events and report what happened. Reporters filmed and reported on the protests across the country and brought these events into the homes of their viewers.  Lastly, journalists must take on the role of "watch-dog" by speaking out against wrongdoing by those in power. Those in power in this case are police forces and  unions, which are being questioned daily by the press. 

The public and journalists must work together for the greater good to hold government officials, corporations, and others with power accountable. By embracing this partnership and nurturing it, the public as a whole will be more informed and journalists will be able to expand their roles in the community to foster expression and enrich the information as it is being interpreted.