Deconstructing the discourse of citizen journalism: Who says what and why it matters

Abstract

Since it emerged early this century, ‘citizen journalist’ and its related terms have been increasingly contested among groups including professional journalists, academics, and citizens themselves. This article creates a typology of five key participant groups in this contest and uses it to analyse the discursive constructs each group uses to advance their position.

Keywords

• alternative media
• citizen journalism
• gatekeepers
• media plurality
• media professionalism