Forums for citizen journalists? Adoption of user generated content initiatives by online news media
Abstract
The mainstream online news media face accusations of being slow to respond to so-called `grassroots' or `citizen journalism', which uses the world wide web, and in particular blogs and wikis, to publish and promote independent news-related content. This article argues that the adaptation of established news websites to the increasing demand from readers for space to express their views is driven as much by local organizational and technical conditions as it is by any attachment to traditional editorial practices. The article uses qualitative research interviews with the editors and managing editors of nine major British news websites to reveal the debates journalists are having about their changing roles, the challenges of meeting commercial expectations and legal obligations, and the innovations taking place in online newsrooms. It provides journalism and interactive media scholars with case studies on the changes taking place in journalism's relationship with its consumers.
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1.
1 Figures collected, 18 April 2005.
2.
2 http://en.wikinews.org
3.
3 http://english.ohmynews.com
4.
4 Figures collected 28—29 April 2005.
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5 The sites surveyed were regional (Scotsman.com and ThisisLondon.co.uk) and national (the others); publicly funded (BBC News website) and commercial (the others); with broadcast (BBC News website) and print (the others) parentage; and serving different readerships (in print terms theSun.co.uk is tabloid, DailyMail.co.uk and ThisisLondon.co.uk are middle-market, while the Independent.co.uk, TimesOnline.co.uk, Telegraph.co.uk and FT.com represent the broadsheet sector).
6.
6 Where possible, the term most commonly used to refer to the format described has been used.Variations in nomenclature are given in the notes that accompany Table 1.
7.
7 Newsroom jargon for `sub-edit' — the correction and rewriting of text by specialized journalists known as `subeditors' or `subs'.
8.
8 Technorati.com's list of the `top 100' most `authoritative' blogs — those with the highest number of links to them — includes many written by individuals, such as Glenn Reynolds and Lawrence Lessig, who, primarily, do not make their living through the practice of journalism.
9.
9 See: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/3676692.stm
10.
10 In February 2006, 14 months after this interview, Burton launched his own technology blog as part of the Telegraph.co.uk's adoption of the genre. As of 30 August 2006, the site was publishing 32 blogs organized into the following categories: UK Correspondents, Foreign Correspondents, Technology, Fashion, Politics, Arts, Sport and Society. See: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/
11.
11 This calculation is based on the fact that the BBC News website had an audience of some 22 million unique users per month (Nixon, 2005).
12.
12 South Korea's OhmyNews.com launched in February 2000. Its readers write 85 percent of the online edition. It has a staff of 48 reporters who review the 50—200 articles submitted daily, about 70 percent of which are published. An average of about one million visitors per day visits the site, although peak traffic can be between two and three times greater.
13.
13 Although for most contributions this is the norm, OhmyNews.com pay more — about US$20 — for a front-page story and readers can `tip' contributors. The maximum tip any reader can give is about $10. The record tip received was over $30,000 in two days for a story about the proposed relocation of South Korea's capital city.
14.
14 Steve Herrmann (2006) revealed that a `popular' `Have Your Say beta' will attract up to 100,000 page views and 2000 contributors, this from a daily unique audience of 3.5—4 million. In comparison, `popular' news stories can attract `500,000 page views'.
15.
15 On the day of a major oil depot explosion in Buncefield, England, the BBC News website received about 6000 emails containing 3—4000 video clips, stills and eye witness accounts (Clifton, 2006).
16.
16 After the main data collection for this study took place, six of the publications surveyed launched `blogs' as part of their online coverage of the 2005 UK general election, although only one — the Guardian.co.uk's `Election blog' — allowed readers to add comments `live'. The others were: the DailyMail.co.uk 's `Inside Whitehall: Benedict Brogan's election blog', the BBC News website's `The Election Monitor our campaign weblog', the FT.com 's `reporters blog', the Telegraph.co.uk's `Westminster weblog' and `Candidate's weblog', and the TimesOnline.co.uk's `Election log'.
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Article first published online: February 1, 2008
Issue published: February 2008
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