![]() ![]() Activating citizen journalistsī4A trained citizen journalists from different regions of Pakistan who now contribute to their local news platforms via the PakVoices platform. The centre has emerged as a pivotal source of information and alternative platform for the citizen journalists who would not otherwise have access to press clubs. Then in 2017, B4A established a citizen journalism centre called PakVoices. Establishing PakVoicesīytes for All first established the web portal PakVoices, which soon became the go-to media platform for citizen journalists in the region. PakVoices is a strong network of well-trained citizen journalists, to bring attention to under-reported areas and call for action on important social and community issues. Due to the coordinators’ flexibility, and the lowering of the participatory threshold, the trainings had a greater impact: providing educational recognition to girls that have not received this before proved very empowering.Įxample – building a citizen journalist network in Pakistan However, the Mama Sosa coordinators soon realised that the program needed rapid adapting midway to incorporate these skills into the training it was wrongly assumed that the participants already had these skills. Initially, the selection criteria for participation in the pilot required a certain level of English and existing digital skills. In this context of poverty, marginalization and traditional norms and values, the Mama Sosa citizen journalism pilot training was aimed at getting young women in this area to speak up, tell their stories and become more critical about issues in their communities. Furthermore, there is little interest in the Zambian media for Kanyama, the largest slum in Lusaka. In Zambia, women are barely heard and are rarely part of public debate. Speak up Zambia! – Broadening the selection criteria for citizen journalist training Once citizen journalists are adequately trained and supported, they can become reliable sources of information for their local communities and act as the bridge between citizens and policymakers. It is crucial that these journalists are trained and have access to established media networks, preferably with editors that have professional journalistic backgrounds. The participation of trained citizen journalist networks means that they have been able to disseminate important health communication in communities during the pandemic, and have reached out in particular to vulnerable women and children.Ĭitizen journalists keep the independence in independent media. PPMN also provided 1500 citizen journalists with protective equipment to enable them to safely report on the coronavirus. Despite some of the training taking place online, their management skills, knowledge on gender mainstreaming and leadership skills improved after the training. Believing that citizen journalists are essential tools on reporting ignored issues for marginalised communities, PPMN created an empowering training programme for 10 female editors in 6 remote areas in Indonesia. Indonesian Association for Media Development (PPMN) – Increasing citizen journalism participation during a pandemicĭuring the COVID-19 pandemic, PPMN had to be flexible with the trainings they had prepared for citizen journalists. This is best achieved through face-to-face training, which is especially beneficial to support the development of voices that are typically excluded. Proper mentorship builds up the confidence of citizen journalists, not just reporting skills. In order to enable citizen journalists to contribute meaningfully to their communities, structured and tailored training is required. Citizen journalism not only facilitates greater public debate and prompts mainstream media to evolve, but it can also enhance social and cultural cohesion in local communities. This is important because it supports self-regulation and adherence to ethical standards and provides an extra check against spreading misinformation.Ĭitizen journalists have created new approaches in newsrooms, journalism training projects and journalism research these sectors must continue to respond and adapt. ![]() These can train and maintain networks of citizen journalists and provide editorial support. In the view of Free Press Unlimited, citizen journalists work best if they are connected to professional media outlets. Ĭitizen journalists are essential in representing marginalised groups in media dark areas: areas where little or no reliable media is present. Laura Ahva describes citizen journalists as “ in-betweeners” who perform in a liminal state between full-time professionals and random individuals committing one-off acts of journalism. Citizen journalism can mean different things to different people. ![]()
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