The Role of Citizen Journalism in Shaping Public Opinion

Citizen journalism is a term that is used to refer to the journalism where unprofessional and in most instances non-professional individuals are the ones who create and share news information on digital platforms. With the emergence of the internet and mobile technology, citizens are no longer mere consumers of media information but are now part of the news creators. Affirms that digital technologies have made every person's voice heard, fundamentally changing the interaction with the media. The expansion of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter (X), TikTok, and YouTube enabled citizens to engage large numbers of people quickly, forming opinions about what is happening in real-time. This paper discusses how citizen journalism influences people's opinions, its effect on media credibility, practical examples of its influence, the ethical concerns surrounding it, and the possibility of balancing it with professional journalism.

Impact on Public Opinion

Citizen journalism has a considerable influence on the framing of stories in pivotal moments such as protests, natural disasters, and crises of a political character. Citizen-created content tends to replace mainstream media in areas where it is distrusted or censored. Horoub notes that citizen journalism gave the communities the power to oppose the old gatekeeping system in Palestine, giving the community a voice that mainstream media did not regard (2). These ground-based reports formed the opinion of the masses in these places and affected the international viewers to learn about the Palestinian struggle literally.

Inclusivity is one of the positive consequences of citizen journalism. Citizen reporting also broadens the range of views in the social discussion by making the voices of others heard that would otherwise be unheard. Chun stipulates that the community citizen journalists prioritize ordinary people, a regional focus, and the positive news to prevent the elite-oriented coverage of mainstream media (2). These tales enable local communities to relate to them, which enhances civic participation.

However, those very strengths cause citizen journalism to present dangers. This misinformation can be spread quickly because of the absence of formal training. According to Horoub, professional journalists often doubt the credibility of amateur-created content because of its lack of accuracy, professionalism, and objectivity (3). This sabotages credibility in the media, where fake news is the order of the day on the internet. On the one hand, citizen journalism makes news production democratic. However, on the other hand, it also causes fears regarding the credibility of information that forms the population's opinion.

Case Examples

The Arab Spring uprisings of 2010-2011 are classic examples of citizen journalism shaping people's opinions. In Tunisia and Egypt, the locals scanned their mobile phones and the social media platforms to take pictures and film of protests, police crackdowns, and political rallies. These eyewitness reports spread quickly across the internet, motivating other nations' citizens to rise. Initially slow in reporting the protests, the mainstream media later used the citizen-generated content to inform the world. Popović indicates that citizen journalists are frequently referred to as witnesses in the right place at the right time, as they can capture crude moments, in which a professional outlet could not intervene (66).

The other example is the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in the United States. The protest in 2020 was triggered by the release of a viral video of George Floyd being killed by a bystander. Unfiltered and emotional footage pointed to the problem of systemic racism and police brutality and compelled mainstream outlets and policymakers to respond. According to Chun, citizen-generated stories can influence the traditional media and government policy together as a collective by attracting mass attention to issues that are not being addressed (3). Citizen journalism can transform political discussions, activism, and the mainstream discourse, as the Arab Spring and BLM demonstrate.

Ethical Considerations

Citizen journalism brings up urgent ethical issues, even though it has the potential of becoming democratic. The most important one is accuracy. Popović cautions that anyone can become a publisher, and therefore, there is a chance that unproven facts may be spread that may distort the truth and mislead the audience (63). This may add to panic or even misinformation campaigns during a crisis.

Bias is another challenge. Citizen journalists usually write about their own personal views or those of their own ideology. Though this authenticity is appealing to viewers, it can help strengthen partisanship. According to Horoub, this kind of reporting is often opinion-based, less factual, and therefore lacks objectivity (3). It may add to the phenomenon of echo chambers in which viewers tend to absorb only information that confirms their beliefs.

There is also a lack of accountability in citizen journalism. Citizens are not subjected to universal ethical standards as opposed to professional journalists, who are constrained by the editorial codes of ethics. Thus, mean or defamatory information may get out of control. However, a positive motive in responsible citizen reporting can also positively influence a discussion. According to Popović, personal stories may motivate others to participate in their communities and work on changes (63). Therefore, the issues of risk reduction and benefits maximization need to be addressed with the assistance of ethics education and digital literacy courses.

Conclusion

The media has been shaken with the advent of citizen journalism, which has transformed the way the mass is influenced during the digital revolution. It has diversified the media because its citizens can share their narratives, represent the voiceless, and create social awareness on key social causes- the BLM and the Arab Spring demonstrate that grassroots reporting can influence political transformation and agenda. However, the absence of transparency, bias, and fake news points to the significance of balancing the civilian and professional journalism. As Chun argues, citizen journalism cannot and must not contradict mainstream journalism, but must be complementary. The most appropriate solution would be to promote cooperation between professional journalists and citizen reporters and instill moral responsibility and media literacy. That way, there is a chance of shaping the masses' opinion with different and trustworthy information, thereby establishing a healthier democratic discourse.