Reportr.net

One of the challenges facing journalists is how to adapt to a changing world of information. Traditionally, the journalist was the gateway for information to the public. This role has been eroded by the internet and the ability of anyone to publish.

Suw Charman has produced a paper on the place of the journalists in a world of citizen journalism for the

Suw is smart enough to realise that citizen journalism is not going to replace the mainstream media. But she argues it is forcing journalists to re-evaluate their role. Here’s the intro to her report:

Citizen journalism - when the general public investigate, fact-check and publish news stories - is changing the face of news. The historic role of gatekeeper, played until now by professional journalists, is obsolete. But new technology and increased civic participation are creating new opportunities for the mainstream media, and three key roles are emerging:

1. Investigation - traditional in-depth investigative journalism made more transparent by publishing research and references.
2. Curation - collecting trustworthy links and synthesising an informed and succinct overview of a story.
3. Facilitation - working with the community to help people publish stories important to them.

These roles reflect some of the traditional attributes of journalism, as well as recasting the professional in a new light. Investigative journalism is one of the strengths of the profession, though again how this is done is being changed by the internet.

The idea of the journalist as a facilitator, working with the community, makes sense. In some ways, this is what good local journalists do. But the web has created new ways of doing this. Look at how Minnesota Public Radio is using public insight journalism to work with the community.

But would most journalists think of themselves as curators? Some bloggers already collect trustworthy links and synthesise a story. Perhaps it is better to think of journalists as those who make sense of the world, verify information and provide context and explanation.

In a world where we are bombarded with so many sources of information, there is a role for a professional who can sift, digest and make sense of an increasingly complex world.