Citizen and Community Journalism - Midterm Examination | Naobi Espiritu

1. Differentiate Citizen Journalism from Community Journalism (6-10 sentences)

Journalism has its wide spectrum wherein it tackles various of aspects within the society and world in general. There are its types that seeks through topics which needs to be highlighted and information that are authenticated as factual which are provided to the public for their knowledge. Including to those that are considered to be 'traditional journalism', for example are editorials, photojournalism and broadcast journalism. These are only the few of those variations of journalism and in this, citizen journalism and community journalism are involved. The difference between these two form of journalism is that one initiates a collaboration among journalists and citizens and the other finds stories from communities. Citizen Journalism is as simple as citizens being journalists but not necessarily a professional one — moreover, it is meant that this is where citizens have their role in giving journalists details about relevant instances or scenarios that happens which are newsworthy that may be overlooked by the experts

Meanwhile, Community Journalism has its contrasting definition because of the depth it has in its storytelling or in terms of creating news. In community journalism, from the name itself, it features stories or insights from communities that is in call for help — not just that but provides others knowledge on a certain community. Both Citizen Journalism and Community Journalism has its part in contributing to Journalism as a whole but in their own ways; Community Journalism with helping people to understand the situation of those who are in communities that are unseen such as indigenous tribes and their struggles — those group of informal settlers, to have their stories be heard and make others be aware. Citizen Journalism with citizens being a 'companion' to professional journalists in unveiling and perceiving newsworthy events that they get to experience or encounter

2. Choose a unique local issue which you think can be resolve by/thru community journalism and why? (6-10 sentences)

There are local issues that occurs in the country and majority of the time, it does not get to be addressed, acknowledged nor discussed. A unique local issue that I think can be resolved by or through community journalism is filipino tribes' hardships in proclaiming their own land. This may or may not be a unique local issue but it is a problem that is in need to be voiced out about and because of community journalism this can have the opportunity to make the public be aware of. Indigenous groups in the Philippines have been in a battle for preserving and protecting their own land because of those who are in power that keeps on abusing not just them but environment itself by destroying landforms. Capitalists are removing or ousting them from their homeland for their own benefit and by using community journalism as a method to tell their struggles can be one of those that will put a factor that can arise change

The tribes in our country is in need of attention with the maltreatment that they have been experiencing and with community journalism, people will be able to know them and their situation. Community Journalism has it essense wherein it becomes an advocacy than it is just as simple as telling the story of a certain community but more of a way for that community to speak for themselves, focuses on understanding the community, show the truth regarding them and be able to seek for help. Those are few of the characteristics of community journalism that it has which can contribute in resolving the chosen unique local issue and probably the reasons why I think the stated problem can be resolved by or through community journalism