Comments on: New Paradigm: Professional Citizen Journalists http://pjnet.org/post/1723/ Public Journalism Network Sat, 30 Aug 2008 15:43:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Will Riley http://pjnet.org/post/1723/#comment-5601 Will Riley Mon, 28 Jul 2008 06:37:06 +0000 http://pjnet.org/post/1723/#comment-5601 This is an excellent example of how journalistic ethics comes into conflict with the management of one's personal identity. I am not a Doctoral student yet, but now that it has been lined out and replaced with Masters degree on this article, it appears that I have been demoted, and perhaps reassigned to a more appropriate intellectual caste :> Also, since this article is currently one of the the top results for my name, the simple journalistic mistake has turned into a primary occasion for judging my academic standing and intellectual ability. Also, although you can draw a line through your blog article, a line has not yet been drawn on the Google search results, which now displays, "Doctoral Masters degree". This further confuses my identity. So how does one balance the need to preserve the history of one's writings with the need to preserve the correct interpretation of the subject as a whole, especially online, where one relatively popular article can really dominate the public perception of the individual? Maybe the best that can be done is to write a comment to recontextualize it. This is an excellent example of how journalistic ethics comes into conflict with the management of one’s personal identity. I am not a Doctoral student yet, but now that it has been lined out and replaced with Masters degree on this article, it appears that I have been demoted, and perhaps reassigned to a more appropriate intellectual caste :> Also, since this article is currently one of the the top results for my name, the simple journalistic mistake has turned into a primary occasion for judging my academic standing and intellectual ability. Also, although you can draw a line through your blog article, a line has not yet been drawn on the Google search results, which now displays, “Doctoral Masters degree”. This further confuses my identity. So how does one balance the need to preserve the history of one’s writings with the need to preserve the correct interpretation of the subject as a whole, especially online, where one relatively popular article can really dominate the public perception of the individual? Maybe the best that can be done is to write a comment to recontextualize it.

]]> By: Will Riley http://pjnet.org/post/1723/#comment-4047 Will Riley Fri, 08 Feb 2008 07:04:06 +0000 http://pjnet.org/post/1723/#comment-4047 Let us consider the freelance journalists advertising their services at: http://www.spj.org/fdb.asp In what ways do these freelancers conform to the corporate mentality and in what ways do they deviate from the business hierarchy? How could a professional citizen journalist "advertise their services" without becoming or suggesting any subservience? If citizen journalists relied on direct contributions, what would be a fair policy for displaying their content? If we primarily relied on a policy of global popularity, we would run the risk of perpetuating seniority rule. This is a common problem for top search results. Moreover, we would run the risk of manufacturing and reinforcing an entrenched hierarchy of celebrity. We do not want to erect towers for the philosopher kings; we want the philosopher kings and queens to be on the ground in the town square We want the school children to embarrass the philosopher kings and queens with such informed questions that they take off their crowns and pass them around for make-believe. So how can we help the freelancers juggle the fame and fortune so that they can write what they think is of public importance? Let us consider the freelance journalists advertising their services at:

http://www.spj.org/fdb.asp

In what ways do these freelancers conform to the corporate mentality and in what ways do they deviate from the business hierarchy?

How could a professional citizen journalist “advertise their services” without becoming or suggesting any subservience?

If citizen journalists relied on direct contributions, what would be a fair policy for displaying their content? If we primarily relied on a policy of global popularity, we would run the risk of perpetuating seniority rule. This is a common problem for top search results. Moreover, we would run the risk of manufacturing and reinforcing an entrenched hierarchy of celebrity. We do not want to erect towers for the philosopher kings; we want the philosopher kings and queens to be on the ground in the town square We want the school children to embarrass the philosopher kings and queens with such informed questions that they take off their crowns and pass them around for make-believe.

So how can we help the freelancers juggle the fame and fortune so that they can write what they think is of public importance?

]]> By: Notes from a Teacher: Mark on Media » Monday squibs http://pjnet.org/post/1723/#comment-4000 Notes from a Teacher: Mark on Media » Monday squibs Tue, 05 Feb 2008 04:46:59 +0000 http://pjnet.org/post/1723/#comment-4000 [...] New Paradigm: Professional Citizen Journalists. Intriguing concept and Len Witt has some very good questions about the idea. [...] […] New Paradigm: Professional Citizen Journalists. Intriguing concept and Len Witt has some very good questions about the idea. […]

]]> By: Leonard Witt http://pjnet.org/post/1723/#comment-3998 Leonard Witt Tue, 05 Feb 2008 03:23:57 +0000 http://pjnet.org/post/1723/#comment-3998 Hi Anna: You say, There are worse things than corporate journalism. You are right, but I am trying to discover if there are better things than corporate journalism. Hi Anna:

You say, There are worse things than corporate journalism.

You are right, but I am trying to discover if there are better things than corporate journalism.

]]> By: Anna Haynes http://pjnet.org/post/1723/#comment-3997 Anna Haynes Tue, 05 Feb 2008 02:45:16 +0000 http://pjnet.org/post/1723/#comment-3997 And given the financial pressures and temptations to blur the line, how do you tell the true citizen journalists from the PR flacks? That's what scares me. There are worse things than corporate journalism. And given the financial pressures and temptations to blur the line, how do you tell the true citizen journalists from the PR flacks?

That’s what scares me. There are worse things than corporate journalism.

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