News audiences, citizen journalism and the end of audience

Overview

Clay Shirky, shirky's idea of mass amateurisation and citizen journalism.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What does Clay Shirky mean by the end of audience?

   Model answer

   Shirky argues that digital technology has ended the situation in which a few organisations broadcast to a silent public, because everybody can now publish, respond and organise.

2. 2

   Explain Shirky's idea of mass amateurisation.

   Model answer

   Mass amateurisation is the collapse of the barrier between professional and amateur publishing, because the tools of production and distribution are now cheap and available to everyone.

3. 3

   What does Shirky mean by publish, then filter?

   Model answer

   Shirky argues that the old model filtered material through editors before publication, whereas online everything is published first and the audience filters it afterwards by what they read and share.

4. 4

   Define citizen journalism.

   Model answer

   Citizen journalism is the reporting of news by members of the public who are not employed as journalists, usually using a phone and a social media account.

5. 5

   Give one example of citizen journalism changing the coverage of an event.

   Model answer

   Mobile phone footage taken by survivors of the London bombings in July 2005 was broadcast by news organisations because no professional camera crew could have been present.

6. 6

   Give one argument that citizen journalism increases the diversity of viewpoints.

   Model answer

   Events in places journalists cannot reach, or affecting people the press habitually ignores, can now be documented and published by those directly involved.

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