Comments on: University lockdown showcases power of citizen media http://www.reportr.net/2008/02/01/university-lockdown-showcases-power-of-citizen-media/ This blog on media, society and technology is run by Professor Alfred Hermida, an award-winning online news pioneer, digital media scholar and journalism educator. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:10:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ScienceDave http://www.reportr.net/2008/02/01/university-lockdown-showcases-power-of-citizen-media/comment-page-1/#comment-315 ScienceDave Mon, 04 Feb 2008 21:55:04 +0000 http://reportr.net/?p=433#comment-315 <i>This showed the potential of a site like NowPublic - the ability to tap into an account from someone at the scene of breaking news. The coverage by mainstream media, with the tendency to rely on official statements, was nothing compared to the snippets of information trickling out from ScienceDave.</i> I've spoken with staff at NowPublic, and they often cite what you've brought up as their primary goals: to provide an unmatched source of information during breaking news events, while providing a more humanistic point of view to the events themselves. Interestingly, I was somewhat hesitant of posting to NowPublic when I first became aware of the lock-down. How might my actions both commit myself to the actual event (i.e. do I <i>want</i> to become more involved than I am already forced to be) AND possibly wrongfully persuade others if I accidentally post false information? I caved (obviously), took the experience in stride, and decided to put on my CJ science hat: exactly <i>how much</i> more might I become involved if I post this experience? As it turned out, I experienced relatively little involvement past the blog shout-out and silently engaging the +14,000 people that read the post. This showed the potential of a site like NowPublic – the ability to tap into an account from someone at the scene of breaking news. The coverage by mainstream media, with the tendency to rely on official statements, was nothing compared to the snippets of information trickling out from ScienceDave.

I’ve spoken with staff at NowPublic, and they often cite what you’ve brought up as their primary goals: to provide an unmatched source of information during breaking news events, while providing a more humanistic point of view to the events themselves.

Interestingly, I was somewhat hesitant of posting to NowPublic when I first became aware of the lock-down. How might my actions both commit myself to the actual event (i.e. do I want to become more involved than I am already forced to be) AND possibly wrongfully persuade others if I accidentally post false information? I caved (obviously), took the experience in stride, and decided to put on my CJ science hat: exactly how much more might I become involved if I post this experience?

As it turned out, I experienced relatively little involvement past the blog shout-out and silently engaging the +14,000 people that read the post.

]]> By: Notes from a Teacher: Mark on Media » Friday squibs http://www.reportr.net/2008/02/01/university-lockdown-showcases-power-of-citizen-media/comment-page-1/#comment-314 Notes from a Teacher: Mark on Media » Friday squibs Sat, 02 Feb 2008 05:05:55 +0000 http://reportr.net/?p=433#comment-314 [...] University lockdown showcases power of citizen media. From UBC, where an email threat led to a lockdown, comes a post from Alfred Hermida showing how NowPublic led the early coverage, thanks to people on the scene. [...] [...] University lockdown showcases power of citizen media. From UBC, where an email threat led to a lockdown, comes a post from Alfred Hermida showing how NowPublic led the early coverage, thanks to people on the scene. [...]

]]> By: zeroratio http://www.reportr.net/2008/02/01/university-lockdown-showcases-power-of-citizen-media/comment-page-1/#comment-313 zeroratio Sat, 02 Feb 2008 01:14:54 +0000 http://reportr.net/?p=433#comment-313 *Siting as in citing :P *Siting as in citing :P

]]> By: zeroratio http://www.reportr.net/2008/02/01/university-lockdown-showcases-power-of-citizen-media/comment-page-1/#comment-312 zeroratio Sat, 02 Feb 2008 01:14:36 +0000 http://reportr.net/?p=433#comment-312 Hi Alfred, Thanks for siting my blog. I believe NowPublic is popular because of its real-time and real-place updates, and MSM which relies on the administration and officials can never win the battle on that front. There is a level of dependability and sophistication expected of the MSM, which can be both a plus and a minus. The minus: they cannot update as fast as bloggers, and they cannot include everything they hear. The plus: people still look towards the more carefully written articles of the MSM for official and perhaps more reliable information. Hi Alfred,
Thanks for siting my blog. I believe NowPublic is popular because of its real-time and real-place updates, and MSM which relies on the administration and officials can never win the battle on that front. There is a level of dependability and sophistication expected of the MSM, which can be both a plus and a minus. The minus: they cannot update as fast as bloggers, and they cannot include everything they hear. The plus: people still look towards the more carefully written articles of the MSM for official and perhaps more reliable information.

]]>