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Do
you think participatory journalism is, ... well, journalism?
That was the question recently asked to website visitors
to Online Journalism
Review, of which Mediaman is a regular
contributor to.
Our
reply is:
Participatory
journalism is a real form of journalism…I'll
tell you why, based on personal experience.
Mediaman www.mediaman.com.au,
of which I am the founder, director and everything
else, was in fact based on all of my off-line journalistic
accomplishments, long before the website went live.
Far
from being an online "blogger", the site
is a portal for the media business, and also showcases
the achievements of its founder, not by coincidence,
as you may have guessed.
Like
all journalists worth their salt, its important to
be able to diversify when needed, and the Internet
is an ideal platform for this.
As
MMA states, the founder is a journalist, TV presenter,
radio and Internet broadcaster. He also contributes
to other websites that lend themselves to blogging.
What's
interesting is that some of my best work was only
published online, and not in "traditional"
ways such as newspapers, magazines and journals.
How
many of you know an "editor", and notice
the apostasies, that just relishes in "binning";
ie tearing up and throwing away good work! Furthermore,
how many of you have submitted fine articles, only
to be told that they were too full-on, could get you
into trouble, and the like.
Ah,
my friends, this is where freedom of speech comes
in, and what some are now referring to as "freedom
of web". Just be prepared to back up your words
and broadcasters, if asked.
In
the past year its become apparent that some traditional
publishers feel threatened by online journalism, and
the smart ones have established their own news media
websites, such as www.smh.com.au
and even "bloggers", like http://weblogs.jupiterresearch.com
and http://fourth-estate.com,
although the corporate look and feel remains.
To
the would be participatory journalist - ensure you
get published via traditional means first, at least
when you start off on the journalism road, and an
official accreditation from a media union or credentials
from an academic institution wouldn't go a miss either.
As a further safeguard, read your work to your friends,
family and other good communicators, before you send
your work away to cyberspace.
As
the late, great media critic stated, "Freedom
of the press belongs to the man who owns one".
The Internet has further changed the rules, and continues
to do so.
Effectively,
most people in the modern world now have the means
to get published, and for the sake of the media business,
lets hope and pray that the authors maintain some
decent standard of editorial process.
Links:
What
is Participatory Journalism, by J.D. Lasica - Online
Journalism Review
Mediaman: Blogging section
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