Citizen-Centered Journalism and Contested Boundaries

Abstract

This article explores the existence of a “citizen-centered journalism” that sees citizens as crucial participants in the construction of news and as co-creators of their own worlds. Through qualitative case studies of three news organizations, the article examines the motivation for using a citizen-centered approach, the news routines that are required to do so, the categories of content produced, and the perceived impact of this approach. The results suggest these news organizations are working in partnership with communities and striving to give a voice to historically marginalized communities. The journalists, however, see citizen participation as complementary to professional journalistic routines that favor verifiable information, rather than assigning inherent value to it for its own sake.

KEYWORDS:

• case study
• citizen-centered journalism
• citizen journalism
• local news
• news routines
• participatory journalism

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Magda Konieczna

Web: https://smc.temple.edu/directory/magda-konieczna

John A. Hatcher

Web: https://cla.d.umn.edu/communication/faculty-staff/dr-john-hatcher

Jennifer E. Moore

Web: https://cla.d.umn.edu/communication/faculty-staff/dr-jennifer-moore