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Reframing risk? Citizen journalism and the transformation of news

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  • Gabe Mythen

Abstract

Western media outlets are increasingly drawing upon public footage and citizen accounts of risk incidents. Contemporaneously, technological advances have enabled members of the public to create and disseminate independent media products. The growth in 'citizen journalism' has been facilitated by technological convergence and the development of an interactive media environment in which citizens are not simply sources of information and/or audiences, but also recorders and creators of news. Despite fundamental changes in news production, the impact of citizen journalism on the reporting of risk remains an undeveloped area. This article maps out the range of effects that citizen journalism has on the production and presentation of risk information. From a constructive angle, we consider the extent to which citizen journalism adds to the plurality of risk discourses, democratises news flows and sets alternate news values. This positive account is counterbalanced by an analysis of the limits of citizen journalism, including the problem of distortion, issues of unequal access and the embedding of populist forms of news presentation. In the light of this analysis, the article concludes by illuminating salient research gaps and identifying areas ripe for empirical investigation.

Suggested Citation

  • Gabe Mythen, 2010. "Reframing risk? Citizen journalism and the transformation of news," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(1), pages 45-58, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:jriskr:v:13:y:2010:i:1:p:45-58
    DOI: 10.1080/13669870903136159
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    Cited by:

    1. Greg Chih-Hsin Sheen & Hans H Tung & Wen-Chin Wu, 2021. "Citizen journalism reduces the credibility deficit of authoritarian government in risk communication amid COVID-19 outbreaks," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(12), pages 1-14, December.
    2. Áine Regan & Monique Raats & Liran Christine Shan & Patrick G. Wall & Áine McConnon, 2016. "Risk communication and social media during food safety crises: a study of stakeholders' opinions in Ireland," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(1), pages 119-133, January.
    3. Xinran Dai & Jing Wang, 2023. "Effect of online video infotainment on audience attention," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-18, December.
    4. Lori Pennington-Gray & Kiki Kaplanidou & Ashley Schroeder, 2013. "Drivers of social media use among African Americans in the event of a crisis," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 66(1), pages 77-95, March.
    5. Andrea Cerase & Lorenzo Cugliari, 2023. "Something Still Remains: Factors Affecting Tsunami Risk Perception on the Coasts Hit by the Reggio Calabria-Messina 1908 Event (Italy)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-26, February.
    6. Jean Slick, 2019. "Experiencing fire: a phenomenological study of YouTube videos of the 2016 Fort McMurray fire," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 98(1), pages 181-212, August.

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