It sounds like there was some tension in the discussion over user-generated content at the Mesh web conference in Toronto.
My former boss, BBC News website editor Steve Herrmann was on the panel, together with Tony Hung, an editor with blog aggregator The Blog Herald, and Paul Sullivan of Orato.com, a citizen journalism site based in Vancouver.
Unfortunately I wasn’t able to make it to Mesh but there are a couple of good write-ups on the pro vs. amateur debate here and here.
Getting into an argument about who is a professional journalist and whether so-called citizen journalism is good or bad for the profession is a dead-end discussion. There is room for both.
More interesting are comments by Herrmann on the BBC Editors’ blog on how the phenomenon of social media – blogs, stories and pictures from the audience, and interactivity in general, has affected BBC journalism:
Two key strands of our day-to-day journalism – readers’ comments and opinions, and newsgathering based on information from the audience – have become an indispensable part of what we do, and talked about some of the logistical and editorial challenges this presents.
It reflects how the BBC’s Have Your Say section has grown beyond just a place for people to comment into a hub for interaction and co-operation between journalists and the public.
Filed under: BBC, WeMedia, citizen journalism, new media, user-generated content
Finally! The fog is lifting.
This isn’t an issue of either/or. The philosophical question is one of collaboration between both sides. It’s a question of collaboration at a higher level. During times of economic struggle why would any industry deny collaboration from a willing and FREE subset of general society. Particularly when that subset is determined to become engaged? The BBC and CNN have gotten it right with user collaboration.
At ichagrin.com we put the reigns directly into the hands of the users. They have something to say. Is it always relevant on the state or national level? No, but it’s relevant to where they live and breathe. On their street, or in their schools.
“Olly Olly Oxen Free” mainstream media. It’s coming whether you’re ready or not.