1. Objectivity of Citizen Journalism
By Frankie Mao
3383126

2. Citizen journalism
Ordinary citizens without journalistic training use the digital
tools to publish or spread instant journalistic information on
their own.
(Glaser, 2006)
Key role in the uprising of Arab Spring
Source:
Mark Glaser http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2006/09/your-guide-to-citizen-journalism270.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn8gs9gTgu0
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/
Jay Rosen, 2008 http://youtu.be/QcYSmRZuep4

3. Should the pictures of self-immolation be
published on social networking sites?
NPAA Code of Ethics
4. Treat all subjects with respect and dignity. Give special
consideration to vulnerable subjects and compassion to
victims of crime or tragedy. Intrude on private moments
of grief only when the public has an overriding and
justifiable need to see.
MEAA Code of Ethics
11. Respect private grief and personal privacy. Journalists
have the right to resist compulsion to intrude.
Source:
http://www.nppa.org/professional_development/business_practices/ethics.html
http://www.alliance.org.au/code-of-ethics.html

4. Objectivity
One of the identified figures of journalism and requires
journalists to be fair and rigorous about what is happening.
• “no one can be really objective”, but journalists will try to be
fair;
• avoided personal feeling
(Rosen, 1993)
Source:
http://missouricommunication.wordpress.com/2011/03/14/blog-6-objectivity-and-journalism-
today/
http://youtu.be/bfqr7qLBQJ4
Rosen, J 1993, ‘Beyond Objectivity’, Nieman Reports, vol. 47, no. 4, winter, pp. 48(6).

5. Citizen journalists in Arab Spring
• Fight for freedom, democracy against dictatorship or absolute
monarchy
• reveal the misery they had suffered and displayed protestors did
meet violent responses from the authorities
A QUESTION:
Are they activists using social networking sites as media
outlet for their own political purpose (Slemrod, 2011).

6. Objectivity in a political dispute
• Let both sides express their opinions rather than quoting one party;
• Listen to people from both parties;
• Keep themselves remaining in the middle especially when some views go to
the extreme
(Rosen, 1993)
Language
• Journalists do not convey any own feelings, biases or prejudices into news
stories;
• They used neutral words instead of any that indicates subjects are good or bad
(Rogers)
Source:
Rosen, J 1993, ‘Beyond Objectivity’, Nieman Reports, vol. 47, no. 4, winter, pp. 48(6).
Rogers, T, Objectivity and
Fairness, http://journalism.about.com/od/ethicsprofessionalism/a/objectivity.htm>.

7. One fact harms citizen journalism and impact global media
News organisations rely on social media to update breaking news and
information to report the situation in Middle East.
(Matias, 2012)
Ali Jaber revealed some information from citizen journalists in Arab Spring had
never been verified.
(Slemrod, 2011)
The indiscretion of publishing uncertain information does exist among citizen
journalists.
(Spence and Quinn, 2008)
Mainstream media took the risk of being manipulated because some citizen
journalists users intended to draw attention from the outside world.
(Matias, 2012)
Source:
Matias, J 2012, Did Global Voices Use Diverse Sources on Twitter for Arab Spring Coverage? < http://www.pbs.org/idealab/2012/08/did-global-voices-use-
diverse-sources-on-twitter-for-arab-spring-coverage228.html>.
Slemrod , A 2011, ‘Top expert: Regional journalism in ethics crisis’, The Daily Star, 28 June 2011, <http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2011/Jun-
28/Top-expert-Regional-journalism-in-ethics-crisis.ashx#axzz1Una3fuIX>.
Spence, H & Quinn, A 2008, ‘Information Ethics as a Guide for New Media’, Journal of Mass Media Ethics, No. 23, pp. 264-279.

8. Universal code of ethics for citizen journalism?
Media ethics
• Transforming to an open approach
• For Traditional journalism & Citizen journalism
(Ward & Wasserman 2010)
Source:
http://zcrissyz-beingauser.blogspot.com.au/2010/04/journalism-ethics-and-democracy.html
http://amazingprmaven.blogspot.com.au/2011/09/social-media-ethics-free-webinar-for-pr.html

9. Reasons:
• “a non-global ethic is no longer able to adequately
address the new problems that face global journalism”.
• new responsibility for the global journalism
(Ward)
Unrealistic to have specific codes:
• various cultures in different nations and regions
• complicated context of incidents
• respect of freedom of speech as a human right
Source:
Ward, S, Global Media Ethics, < http://ethics.journalism.wisc.edu/resources/global-media-ethics/>

10. Possible solution:
• To establish Common Codes
• To ask citizen journalists cautiously deal with sensitive contents
including violence, crime, sex,
“A code of ethics doesn’t solve anything. It might be a guide, but at the
end of the day, individuals have to make their own ethical decisions
every time they face a question and a quandary. ”
(Javis, 2008)
Goal:
To persuade citizen journalists to provide
quality news stories to the world.
Source:
Javis, J 2008, Quesiton: Do we need a new journalistic code of ethics? online video http://bigthink.com/ideas/1261