Citizen and Community Journalism Midterm Exam

Differentiate citizen journalism and community journalism in only 6-10 sentences.

While both citizen and community journalism involve civilians, the difference lies in their role in disseminating information. Citizen journalism can be described as the practice of spreading news by non-professional journalists. In the thriving social media landscape, normal citizens have gained the platform to create and share information with a far-reaching audience. From reader to participant, citizens have taken up the mantle to highlight the stories that otherwise will be overlooked due to professional journalists’ other workloads. 

On the other hand, community journalism focuses on the stories of specific groups of people made by professional journalists. The stories are centralized on these communities’ unique experiences to highlight important issues and concerns surrounding said communities. Amplifying their voices is not only for seeking the attention of the authorities but also to keep the community’s members informed. The goal of community journalists is to accompany them from exploration of the issue to educated decision-making and appeals for a better society.     

Choose a unique local issue that you think can be resolved by community journalism and why.

The small town of Pandi has several unique local issues but the most notable of all is the lack of accessible medical professionals and equipment. The best medical help they can get comes from the five healthcare units, an infirmary hospital, and a district hospital. All these institutions offer limited services and short working hours, except the 24-hour infirmary. Nonetheless, many of the Pandieños have expressed their concern with the lack of attending doctor to cater to their needs. Most emergencies choose to be brought to the nearest hospital which is in Sta. Maria, Bocaue, or Malolos—taking at least 30 minutes to one and a half hours to reach. Even then, you still have to wait for an ambulance as it is limited.
If a committed community journalist takes their time discussing these issues, properly highlighting the woes and concerns of the Pandieños, reaching out to the local government unit of Bulacan should be possible. By addressing the issue through media coverage, the citizens of Pandi can urge their local government unit to take necessary action and invest resources. The Pandieños now have the power and platform to voice out what they need for the hospital to properly accommodate their illnesses. Through proper information dissemination, they can properly criticize and recognize the issues that must be addressed and advocate for what needs to be done.