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Michigan Technological University

Corporate News versus Citizen Online Journalism and their relation to the Public Sphere

Devin Leonarudzzi
HU4800 Media and Globalization
Dr. Sue Collins
12/18/2014

Theintegrationoftheworldseconomy,usuallyreferredtoasglobalization,
haslargelybeenfosteredbycommunicationtechnologies.Thesetechnologies
provideasystemofveinsthatprovidesmoothpathsforcommunicationtotravel
acrosstheglobeinsheerseconds.Whilemostcriticsofglobalizationseeitasa
waveofhegemonicforcesdrivingdevelopingcountriesawayfromdemocracy,others
seeitinamorepositiveway.ThebluemarblephotographfromApollo11mission
hasbeenwidelyaccreditedtoprovidingthestartofaglobaldiscussionconcerning
problemssuchasoverpopulation,poverty,depletionofnaturalresources,climate
change,andpoliticaldisputes,tonameafew(HachtenandScotton,14Lule,51).
Today,masscommunicationthroughprofessionalnewsmediaandcitizenjournalists
providesmostoftheworldwithinformationregardingtheseglobaltopics.The
blogosphereandInternetallowpeoplefromaroundtheworldtogatherinoneplace
tocreateaglobalpublicsphere.Inthefollowingpaper,Idiscusstherelationship
betweenprofessionalnewsmediaandcitizenjournalismandtheirrelationshiptoa
publicsphere.Iarguethatcitizenjournalismisboththreateningandbeneficialto
professionalnewsmedia.
WhenconsideringitinaWesternframework,journalismshighestandprimary
obligationistoinformandservethepublic.Professionalslearntheethicsof
journalisminordertogatheranddistributenewstothepublicinanethicalway.While
followingtheethicalcodesisexpected,itisnotlegallyenforceablebytheFirst
Amendment.TheSocietyofProfessionalJournalists(SPJ)statesthatethical
journalismshouldbeaccurateandfairandthatjournalistsshouldbehonestin

gathering,reporting,andinterpretinginformation.Ethicaljournalismmustminimize
harmbytreatingnewssourcesandsubjectsashumanbeingswhodeserverespect.
Aprofessionaljournalistmusttakeresponsibilityforhisworkandexplainhisreporting
andinterpretingdecisionstothepublic(SPJ).Thiscodeofethicsareaguidefor
professionaljournalistsinallmasscommunicationplatformsfromnewspapersto
broadcast.
Corporatenewsproductionshouldbeunbiasedbutitisnt.Itshouldservethe
publicbutdoesnt,atleastnotfully.Thereasonforthisimbalanceistieswiththe
economicandpoliticalsystems.Newsproductioncompaniesaremultinational
corporations,oftenwithagendasthatarelobbiedfor.Today,U.S.newsprograms
relyonratings.Tokeeptheseratingshigh,infotainmenthasbeenimplemented.In
otherwords,informationisconveyedasentertainment.Newsstoriesareproductsof
otherization,wherethefocusofstoriesareforhumaninterestpurposes.Mediais
alsostronglytiedtogovernmentandpolitics.Thismodeltreatsnewsasacommodity
thatisboughtandsoldinsteadofasourceofreliableinformationforthepublic.This
capitalist,propagandisticmodelofamediasystemisbeingcopiedbyothercountries.
Thus,awholesystemofindependent,profitoriented,andnationalaudiencetargeted
newsstationsarecreatedwhichmayshowusthatthecorporatemediasystemis
drivingusfartherawayfromthenotionofglobalization.
ThecontentofInternationalreporting,wherecorrespondentsindifferent
countriesreportbacktotheirdomesticaudience,isoftenskewedbystereotypes
aboutthatparticularforeigncountry(Hafez,26).Internationalreportingalsotakeson

thepoliticalpointofviewsofthehomecountry.Contentisdistortedandhasnegative
effectsonviewersattitudestowardstherestoftheworld.Internationalreportingalso
focusesonconflictswhich,again,regeneratestereotypes.Thereisalsoastrong
politicalfocus,leavingoutmostothernewsworthystories(Hafez,29).
Thereishope,however.TheCNNeffectisamediasystemwherethepublics
opinionisrepresented.Italsoaimstoinfluencepoliticalpolicies,onbehalfofthe
public(Hafez,17).CNNhasmadeboldmovestoopposegovernmentdecisionsand,
inreturn,hasreceivedmanyfollowers.ThealJazeeranewsnetworkhastakenon
similarcharacteristicsoftheCNNeffect.Ittransmitsmediatotheworldwithout
strappingtoomanyopinionstoit.Ithasstartedtheglobaldialoguewhichgetspeople
allaroundtheworldengagedinforeignmatters.Ithascontributedtosystem
connectivitybytransmittingmediathroughsatellitesaswellasworkingonbalancing
thenews(Hafez,77).AlJazeeraattemptstointerviewallpartiesinvolvedina
situation.OneofitsgoalsistocountertheWesternandIsraelibiasesinmost
Westernnews.Hafeznoticesthatforthefirsttime,anewsnetworkhasbattled
againstWesternhegemoniccontrolofnewsflowandwon(79).
HafezpointsoutthatbecauseCNNandalJazeerahavebeeninfluencedby
politicsandpatriotism,themythofanunbiasedglobalmediasystemcomesbackinto
play.After9/11andduringthewar,alJazeerawasmostlyconcentratingon
homelanddeathswhichbroughtawholewaveofcriticism.AlJazeera,afterall,was
slightlybiased.Itwasonlydoingitsjobthough.Ithasthejournalisticdutytoinform

thepublic,andinthiscaseitstheirregionalaudience.Justbecauseitbroketheflow
ofWesternhegemonydoesntmeanitsclosetoaglobalpublicsphere.
Thissystemofcorporatenewsproductioncouldntexistwithouthardworking
journalists.Thereareseveralreasonswhythecorporatemodelofnewsisagood
thing.Sinceprofessionalnewsorganizationsarecorporatelyowned,therearefunds
availableforemployeeincentives.Professionaljournalistsalsobenefitfromhavinga
divisionoflaborthroughoutthecompany.Employeescanfocusonspecializingin
oneareaandbecomingasortofexpertonthetopic(Lowrey,483).Professional
journalistsbenefitfromthestructureofethicaljournalismtheyarerequiredto
formalizetheirstandardsandknowthattherearepunishmentsforviolatingstandards
(Lowrey,484).
Citizenjournalismreferstocitizenbasedmediainwhichindividualsand
organizationslooktoshareideasinapublicdiscourse.Citizenjournalistsarenot
requiredtoabidebyjournalisticethicsinordertoparticipate.Thesejournalistsmay
bebasedonanonprofitagendawhichenablesthemtotakeclearsidesonpositions.
Citizenjournalistsoftenuseblogsasaplatformfortheirmedia.Blogswithnotiesto
theeconomyorpoliticsareplacesforopen,interactiveconversation(Reeseetal.
239).Commentsectionsallowreadersthechancetoprovideusefulfeedbacktoblog
writers.Thisnetworkednatureofcitizenjournalismblogsofferintenseconnectivity
thatapersoncantfindwithprofessionalprintorbroadcastnews.
Aproblemwiththeprofessionaljournalistsisthattheyaretiedtoan
organizationthatoftenrequireemployeestoabandontheirethicswhilestrivingfor

storiesthatensurecorporateprofits.Becauseofthis,professionaljournalistsoften
takeonbigger,moreentertainingstoriesandleaveoutthesmallones.Thisiswhere
citizenjournalistscomeoutaheadtheyarenotconstrainedtoanorganizationorthe
pursuitofprofit.Newscorporationsrelyonadvertisingrevenuetokeeptheirbusiness
runningwhereascitizenjournalistsdontneedadvertisementsontheirsites.Also,
professionaljournalistshavetoappealtoanextremelywideaudience.This
safenesskeepsprofessionaljournalistsfromexpressingtheiropinionsorbeing
creative.Blogshavemovedintothatvulnerable,unbalancedareabytargetingor
appealingtosmallersubcultureaudiences(Reeseetal.239).
Professionaljournalistsdistributetheirstoriesmainlythroughprintand
broadcast.Thisgivescitizenjournalistsanotheradvantagebecauseblogscanbe
continuallyupdated,especiallywithreadercomments.Anothernicefeatureofblogs
ishyperlinking.Citizenjournalistareabletolinktoothersitesandmediaforproof,
othersidesofastory,ormoreinformation(Lowrey,487Kawamoto,4).
A2014studydonebyCarretal.examinedtheperceivedcredibilityof
professionalandcitizenjournalism.Theyfoundthatcynicsandskepticsofcorporate
mediatendtoviewcitizenjournalismasmorecrediblenoncynicsandnonskeptics
tendtotrustandbelievemainstreammedia.Whileconductingtheirstudy,theyfound
thatpeoplearenowlessoftendistinguishingbetweenprofessionalandcitizen
journalism.Thisismostlikelycausedbytherapidspreadofinformation,especially
ontheinternet(Carretal.464).

Citizenjournalismispowerfulinthateventscanbecoveredanddistributed
withoutbeinganalyzedandpackagedforconsumers.Citizenjournalistshaveno
profitmotivetodistortstories.PeterEvansdescribestheseprocessesasapartof
counterhegemonicglobalization.Thistermrelatestomovementsthathavethe
powertooverthrowtheideologiesofsociety.Hegemonicprocessesrefersto
societysnaturalizedacceptanceofideologiesandthedominationofcommonsense
bycorporationsandthegovernmentthatcanteasilybedismantled(Evans,422).
Thesestructuresarefluidinordertorepositionthemselveswhenneeded.Counter
hegemonyisbasicallygoingagainstthenormsofsocietybyfindingcracksin
hegemonicprocessestoexposeandexploitthem.
Apersonwhoworkstocountersocietyshegemonicpracticesforactivist
movementscanbeconsideredasortofcitizenjournalist.Heseekstoshowthereal
storybehindamovementandtrytogetpeopleinvolved.MelissaA.Wallsaysthata
fewchangeshaveincreasedtheproductionofnewsbysocialmovementactivists.
Thesechangesinclude:ariseinactivism,theincreasinguseoftheInternetasa
communicationtool,andariseofcorporationswhoprimarilyseekprofits(Wall,113).
TheInternethasknockeddownthebarrierbetweenactivistsandaudiences.Global
distributionandcontentproductionarenowpossible.TheAfricanAmericanstruggle
forcivilrightsisanexampleofasocialmovement.Thismovementseekstocreate
socialchange.Manyhavearguedthatwithoutmainstreammedia,movements
couldntexist.However,theInternetnowallowsactiviststoactually
be
themedia
(Wall,114).

FollowingthedeathsofTrayvonMartin(2012),MichaelBrown(2014)andEric
Garner(2014),therehavebeenacountlessnumberofcitizenjournalisticblogsand
videoscreatedassessingeachsituation.Whilethewitnessesofthefirsttwo
shootingsdidntgetachancedocumentwhattheysaw,thewitnessesofEric
Garnersdeathdid.Thereareatleasttwodifferentvideosoftheactualdeaththat
havesurfacedsincetheeventinJulyof2014.Themultipleincidentshavecaused
controversyandprotestsbutthefactthatGarner'sdeathwascapturedonvideo
makesitaprimeexampleofhowcitizensareseekingdemocracy.Martinand
Brownsdeathareambiguousandcontroversialbecauseofthelackofevidenceand
documentationbywitnesses.Professionalandcitizenjournalistscanonlytheorize
whatreallyhappened.Garnersdeathisdifferent.Itwascapturedonvideo,exposing
thebrutalitybylawenforcementofficerswhowereinvolved.Foronce,thepublicwas
abletoseewiththeirowneyeswhatactuallyhappened.
Ofcourse,theseincidentshavebeencontinuouslycoveredbycorporatenews
mediaandcitizensalike.Professionaljournalistsarenowfindingwaystousethe
abundanceofvideoscapturedbycitizens.Mobilephonesarebeingusedonamass
scaleandofferHDvideorecordingcapabilities.Thisisallowingmorepeopleto
documenteverythingtheysee.Broadcastersseethisasvaluablecontentbecause
peoplealreadyspendtheirtimesearchingforthesevideosonYoutubeandother
searchengines.Onemajorissuethatarisesistheveracityofthemobilevideos.Its
notalwayseasyforprofessionaljournaliststoidentifyfactualcontentversusfake
content.However,whentherearemultiplevideos,frommultipleperspectives,ofa

specificsituation,itseasiertoseethetruth.Citizenjournalistswritingblogsalso
oftenciteprofessionaljournalistsastheirmainsources(Reeseetal.240).The
reciprocityandinterconnectednessofprofessionalandcitizenjournalistsprovide
proofofthepublicsphere.
Thelinebetweenprofessionalandcitizenjournalismisblurring.Citizen
journalistscancreateunbiasedcontentfortheiraudiences.AstheEricGarnercase
shows,citizenscancaptureeventsthroughvideorecordingandpublishthem.Thisis
notnecessarilyathreattoprofessionalnewsorganizations.Contentcreatedby
citizenscanbeusefultoprofessionaljournalists.Butitworksbothwayscitizen
journalistsalsousecontentfromprofessionals.Thisinterdependenceofnews
production,whereprofessionalsandcitizensrelyoneachother,createsastronger
civilsocietywhichultimatelyleadstothenewpublicsphere.Themassiveuseof
mobilephonesandtheInternet,alongwithastrongcivilsocietymakesthisall
possible.


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