Title: Journalism in the wake of participatory publishing
Abstract: Enabled by increasing popularity of web-based easy-publishing technologies, vibrant rise of participatory publishing - which could be ideally understood as the act of a citizen, or a group of citizens, playing an active role in process of collecting, reporting, analysing and disseminating news and in order to provide independent, reliable, accurate, wide-ranging and relevant information that a democracy requires (Bowman & Willis, 2003, p9)1 - in past five or six years has such a significant journalistic implication that many critics have even declared it to be future of journalism. However, and rather surprisingly, this issue has not stirred up much debate among Australian journalism educators. Combining original data from a national survey of Australian news uses with previous research, this paper is a preliminary attempt to explore current development of participatory publishing and its potential relationship with professional journalism. Starting from a review of explosion and potential power of online participation in and outside Australia, paper then places traditional journalism in centre of fledgling online public sphere to argue that participatory publishing provides a golden opportunity for traditional journalism to rethink and react in way it is meant to be. In order to survive well with ideal of public service, however, journalism must change from a lecture to a conversation, listening and talking to public rather than remaining a closed stubborn profession that has long been a potential detriment to a healthy public sphere.
Publication Year: 2006
Publication Date: 2006-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 35
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