Hi everyone!
The conflict between old and new media seems to be a major theme in this class. Printed newspapers are slowly becoming obsolete as more interactive internet sources are used for news. As exemplified by the sharing of information about the situation in Iran via Twitter and Flickr, the new "citizen journalists" of this internet age have a considerable amount of influence in news.
While not as serious as the events in Iran, I found an instance similar to that situation in which newspapers depended on a "citizen journalist" for information about a story they would otherwise not have been aware of.
An article in today's Washington Post titled "Bus Driver Who Had Book Is Off Md. Route for Now" said that a bus driver was reading as she drove and was photographed by a citizen riding the bus. According to the article, "The Montgomery investigation was prompted by a 34-year-old Silver Spring woman, who provided Channel 7 with photographs she said she took Friday night on Bus 38." Apparently, the driver was reading the entire time that this woman was on the bus, which was for at least 20 minutes.
Not only is this story scary, but it also further presses upon us the importance of "citizen journalism" in our society. While I understand that we cannot rely on citizens for our news all of the time, I believe they make up a central part of how our news is passed along in this new world shaped by the internet, and cell phones.
What do you think about the increasing reliance on "citizen journalists"?
Also, what do you think the penalty should be for this irresponsible and reckless bus driver if it is confirmed (they are currently investigating it more) that she was in fact reading while driving?
And I just want to say that this blog is awesome- you all have such interesting stories and comments to share!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
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My brother told me a rumor that in montgomery county that bus drivers hit more people than regular cars do; now i know the reason why.
ReplyDeleteBut I think that it's great how people can expose such problems with the system. My only concern is that this lady's career has been completely ruined. Even though she was practicing negligent driving, she did not actually cause any harm to anyone.
Sometimes harsh lessons are the only way for others to learn. I feel bad for her but what would you have done with her? If you let her go then what is to stop other bus drivers from doing the same.
ReplyDeleteI do see one problem. We all get our nes from the same sorces. USA today, Washington Post, or now the Baltimore Sun. We ALL see the same stories. This blog is brilliant, but it seems uneventful if we all have the same knowlege and, largely similar conclusions.
ReplyDeleteMichelle, this blog was very interesting and I really enjoyed reading it. I would have to agree with Marcus in that her career is completely ruined. Even though she did not actually harm anyone, you don't know that she wouldn't in the future. You must assume that she would continue with the same actions, therefore you must follow the strictest punishment. I believe that there should be consequences in place, and that she should not be allowed to drive for public transportation anymore.
ReplyDeleteLike Mary Hartley, I believe that while citizen journalism is of high importance (in her words, it's "a tool of democracy"), the words of credible journalists are still crucial.
ReplyDelete*Hartney
ReplyDeleteWhoops, I just got an F /:
In response to your question about citizen journalists, I feel that it is unfortunate that there is so much reliance on them. The problem with citizens giving information is that they are not properly trained to present it to others in the best manor possible. Another issue is that when people are involved in a situation they tend to be bias and view their opinions as the only truth and entire story. This leads to others being misinformed, the reason why there are professional journalists is because they can present the story to the reader as if they were there. Like Professor Banisky, they have a passion to provide as much information to those who weren't able to be there and view the situation for themselves. I feel that having journalists is crucial to getting the best information possible. By relying on citizen journalists it is skewing the way we view news and the events that occur.
ReplyDeleteI was just amazed that the bus driver was reading a book and not texting!!!
ReplyDeleteI don't think we will ever reach a time when we are soley dependent upon citizen journalists (which would be very scary), but they have been playing an increasingly influential role in the media lately and we cannot discount them simply because they are not professionals.
ReplyDeleteIn this case, this passenger on the bus informed the media of a wrongdoing which prompted professionals to write a story about the event which helped the professionals instead of stealing the spotlight from them.
Francesca made an important point that we need professional journalists to continue informing the public in a fair and well-organized manner. As the internet expands along with citizen journalism, we must find ways to allow it to supplement professional journalism rather than replace it.
Thanks for all your comments! :)
I was also shocked the bus driver wasn't texting. I've actually seen bus drivers talking on the phone while driving (which is definitly illegal) and it gave me quiite a scare. In a way, I guess it was better she was reading and not texting or talking on the phone.
ReplyDeleteI also must agree with Will on the fact that we are all coming to the same conclusions on this blog with most of our posts, but Will, maybe it is honestly just because we really do share similar same opinions. Most of us are very likely to be getting our information from similar resources which causes this type of likeness in opinions.
So Will, and to all, if any posts come up that spark some sort of polite arguments, I'll be glad to state a differed opinion. I will definitly try and post some controversial ideas myself.