Owing largely to the rise in social media, and arguably live streaming functionality across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, “citizen journalism” is on the rise in Ireland. The title itself should be somewhat harmless, referring to individuals taking to the internet to share their perspectives and report on current events. But what exactly is citizen journalism, and does it carry any risks?

What is Citizen Journalism?

Citizen journalism, also known as participatory journalism, refers to members of the public covering events around the country. Traditional media, such as television or print media, is typically contributed to by journalists. These journalists have been through various rights of passage to get to where they are, whether it be college courses or through some sort of apprenticeship or placement before working their way up the ranks.

However, with the advent of social media, particularly live streaming, members of the public can now reach large numbers of people in a short period of time. While news of an event would have waited for 12pm, 6pm or 9pm news in Ireland, it’s now streamed by smart phone from the event, live by members of the public who may or may not refer to themselves as “citizen journalists”. Some will add commentary, others opinion and some will just stream events.

Real-Life Examples of Citizen Journalism

A recent example of this in action was the fake Halloween parade in Dublin. Here, a TikToker by the name of Bertie Brosnan, live streamed the streets of Dublin to thousands of people. It was hours before any traditional media outlets picked up on what was happening, but through TikTok the news of the event was spreading quickly.

This was a harmless example of “citizen journalism”. Many looked up the events of that night as a lighthearted mistake by the masses, even if there are many lessons we should pay heed to.

“Citizen journalism” is by it’s nature dedicated to being in the right place at the right time. In 2020 a member of the public filmed the tragic death of George Floyd on a smartphone, which quickly went viral on social media. The video sparked global protests against police brutality and systemic racism, leading to policy discussions and calls for reform in many countries.

One of the main benefits is that it allows individuals to share their perspectives and experiences, providing a more diverse range of voices and viewpoints. Citizen journalism also allows for more flexibility and creativity in terms of format and style, which can make it more engaging and accessible to audiences.

But because of the “right place right time” nature of “citizen journalism” there are also many downsides to it.

Dangers of Citizen Journalism

While the notion of democratising the news sounds appealing, it brings massive risks, not least of which is down to the sheer pace of information today.

In 2021, leading up to and during the attack on the U.S. Capitol, citizen journalists and social media users shared unverified claims of election fraud and live-streamed the riots. These streams not only fueled further violence but also provided real-time intelligence to rioters. The incident showcased how misinformation and live content could escalate a situation, undermining democratic processes.

While the term “citizen journalist” is not inherently negative, from my observation of live streams here in Ireland they do tend to peddle negative ideologies. There are regular anti-immigration protests taking place around the country, thinly veiled protests of concern promoting hateful ideologies of minority groups. These events are usually attended by “concerned citizens” or “citizen journalists”.

One particularly well known event was the Coolock Crown Paints protests earlier this year. 15 people were arrested at these events, amongst them Philip Dwyer, who claims to be a “citizen journalist as a hobby” and often “reports on gatherings”.

Speaking during Dáil leaders’ questions on 8th February 2024, Paul Murphy called out the issues that “citizen journalism” can cause, highlighting the “26 arson attacks in the past five years against premises rumoured to be used for asylum seekers” before connecting these attacks to “citizen journalists” like Philip Dwyer, stating “the pattern is very clear. A rumour starts, true or false, suggesting a property is going to be used. Far-right activists, people like Philip Dwyer, Gavin Pepper and Fergus Power, are quick to the scene. A few days later it is burned down”.

Challenging and Changing Access to News

As more traditional media companies, particularly print media, scrambled to protect profits and margins, more content goes behind a paywall. Just a few months ago, The Irish Times removed free student access to its online publications.

With the exception of RTÉ and access offered by libraries both nationwide and online via services such as Borrowbox, high quality journalism is only available to those who can,and will, pay for it. Even younger generations are increasingly disconnected from traditional journalism, instead often avoiding known news brands and happening upon news via social media, where the quality is varying and questionable.

I mentioned Borrowbox, but even there publications come and go as Libraries Ireland and publishers struggle to reach agreements of licensing.

What we’re left with is sensational news published and broadcast by “citizen journalists”, largely not fact checked or shared with source material, spreading faster than researched facts. I’ve seen countless videos of interviews with people at this anti-immigrant protests where people cite websites or “citizen journalists” who’ve since been debunked as spreading misinformation. But once the horse bolts on these kind of untrue stories, it’s very difficult to get the horse back into the stable.

What Do We Do About Citizen Journalism?

I’m very aware this article may come across as elitist and someone could claim that I’m promoting an idea that only university educated individuals should be writing the news. That’s not what I believe at all. In fact, that brings with it massive issues of unconscious bias and media blind spots. It’s critical that we have news from diverse sources to ensure we get a full picture.

However, information is traveling faster than it is right and that is bringing massive dangers, largely going unchecked. The media landscape has dramatically changed in the past ten or even five years. We, the public, have a responsibility to consumer news but also to assess it critically.

In traditional media, platforms such as Ground News can help you identify bias in traditional media and information on ownership of that publication.

However, for “citizen journalism” it’s more on you. You will have to identify when “citizen journalists” are displaying signs of a ulterior agenda, bias and, most importantly, speaking without sources and spreading misinformation.

I’m not going to make it out that this is difficult. It’s as simple as a Google search or seeking out public commentary on known communities such as Reddit. In a matter of minutes, you’ll be able to tell if someone is genuinely trying to spread an important story, or misinformation.

Finally, check your own biases. Social media algorithms have become adept at showing you content that already supports what you know or are interested in. You should be challenging what you know. I dropped out of college the first time I tried but I learned one thing about coding. When you build an application, get someone else to look for bugs because you won’t want to find them. This is the same way you should approach the news.