Saturday, January 07, 2006

Year Without Journalism?

Citizen journalism--sounds like an idea straight out of the sixties. "We know what we want to hear about--just let us do the driving!" The children of the children of the sixties have come close to making many of their parents' dreams come true and citizen journalism seems on the brink of success as well.

But, as this article from the Chicago Reader (via the Tucson Weekly) says so eloquently, where does the stuff of citizen journalism come from? Do we, the citizens, go to the places where our stories take place? Do we, the citizens, meet the deep-throated informants and make the connections between the laundry and the money? Or do we mostly read the work of "non-citizen" journalists and then gather the pieces into our own personal mosaic of news?

Don't get me wrong--I strongly believe in one must participate in one's own education and edification. I just don't want to lose sight of the fact that we all stand on the shoulders of those around us (oh there's an image for you).

No citizen is an island.

No comments: