By Selokela Molamodi

Citizen Journalism is fast becoming the public’s source of information. With the emergence of social media, the online world is the perfect place to break stories, no matter how newsworthy. Citizen Journalism can be thought of as any kind of media reporting done by ordinary citizens without following all the processes involved in traditional reporting, like pitching a story or running the final draft past the editor in the newsroom. There is more freedom for content choice and often little knowledge about what kind of stories can be considered breaking news or even the laws that govern the pictures that can be attached along with a story.

In citizen journalism, anyone with a smartphone is a journalist. There are no rules, meaning the stories are often reported with little to no context. For example, when residents of communities post pictures from a service delivery protest with just a caption of “The Mayor Must Go!” All is not lost for traditional media as usually qualified and credible journalists tend to report on the same stories with a much clearer context and the necessary updates.

Citizen Journalism has changed how the public consumes content. If the breaking news is not on social media, people take time to warm up to the story. As a result, credible news publications have had to create an online blueprint so they can break their stories simultaneously. In this way, traditional media has been able to stay relevant even to New Media consumers who are usually much younger. “Citizen Journalism has made my life easier because it’s all about the people. It’s like the people choose what they want and not what the media gives them,” Dumehlezi Twala, a young student in Braamfontein said. “Citizen Journalism is the real definition of media freedom, not these publications that chase numbers and profits,” he added.

Citizen Journalism has helped not just the public but the law enforcement to catch some of the most wanted criminals. Thabo Bester is the perfect example of this. A citizen was doing their shopping at Woolworths when they spotted a man who looked like a convicted criminal. After the short clip went viral on social media, it did not take before law enforcement found him and his accomplice, Nandipha Magudumana. Another example would be people sharing their personal experiences on a local newspaper or social media and getting the help they need. For example, when children write to their local newspapers, asking for donations of school shoes or stationery.

In many ways, Citizen Journalism has put a spotlight on issues that continue to plague or hamper the progress of the country. For example, when the video of two Afrikaner teenagers using a racial slur against a black person went viral, it was citizen journalism through social media that condemned the behaviour. TikToker Sonwabile was on a livestream on a platform called KICK when two teenagers came on and called the “K-word”, he responded by saying, “That’s not nice. I can’t believe that in 2023, we’re still fighting racism.” After this, citizen journalists did their research and found that the teenager’s school was in Tzaneen, Limpopo. The online community called for their suspension and demanded a public apology, “who taught these kids to be racist?” one X user posted. Although was not a breaking story in mainstream media, it gained traction from online media.

The media must be as inclusive as possible. However, due to bigger contractual commitments, numbers and the need to make a profit, traditional media houses are not always able to reach the ground and tell the stories that people want to read. Therefore an alternative like citizen journalism is the Holy Grail that continues to keep the masses informed, intrigued and up to speed.

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About the author:

Selokela Slu Molamodi is a consummate broadcaster, community development activist and creative member of the ACTIVATE! Change Drivers writers hub.