When someone speaks about "what they heard / saw on the news", most of us automatically think of traditional news outlets, such as television, newspaper and radio.

Nowadays, some of the main news sources are social media platforms, websites and e-mail newsletters. It's no shocker that the rise of technological advancements has impacted how the world works. This has been in both positive and negative ways.

One of the positives has definitely got to be the rise in citizen journalism.

Keep on scrolling as media update's Saads Abrahams gives us insider tips for becoming a citizen journalist.

What is citizen journalism?

So before we dive into the tips and tricks to becoming a citizen journalist, let's find out what exactly a citizen journalist is.

According to Britannica, "Citizen journalism, [is] journalism that is conducted by people who are not professional journalists but who disseminate information using websites, blogs and social media."

Why are citizen journalists important?

When we think about what we are exposed to through traditional news, we often only receive selected information. Citizen journalism, however, gives viewers / listeners the opportunity to find more information on a much broader scale.

With citizen journalism, you can find out information about something specific to your residential area or something happening on the other side of the world. As Britannica says:

"The importance of citizen journalism is that it is intended to bridge the gaps created by traditional news outlets and create more sources of information."
Let's get to the tips!

Pick your platform

So, now that you are on your journey to becoming a citizen journalist, you need to pick a platform to share your content. There are multiple platforms you can work with that work with your strengths.

If you are looking to create video content, the platforms you should look at are:
  • YouTube
  • TikTok
  • Instagram
  • Facebook, and
  • Snapchat.

If you are going to create written content, you should look at:
  • creating your own blog or website
  • posting on third-party websites
  • X (Twitter)
  • Reddit, or
  • Facebook.


Build your foundation

To become a successful citizen journalist, you need to build your skill set.

There are a few ways in which you can do this. If you are going to be writing, make sure your grammar and spelling skills are on point and that you have the necessary tools to assist you.

Depending on what area you are discussing, you need to take note of the language style that your target audience uses.

If you are creating video content, make sure that you have the right equipment and you know how to edit your videos. Video content is popular, so if you want to stand out, you need to make sure your content looks professional. If you are looking for some inspo, then check out fellow citizen journalist Dylan Page — aka News Daddy.

Another way that you can build your foundation is by following other successful traditional and citizen journalists. This can help you find inspiration and help you get started on the right track.

Ask yourself: What are you covering?

You need to decide what topics you are going to cover.

Being all over the place will make your work sloppy, and you won't come off as a reliable source. Rather look at being an expert on one or a few subject matters rather than being half-invested in too many of them.

Some areas you could choose to focus on include:
  • local news
  • international news
  • tech news
  • politics
  • sporting
  • pop culture, or
  • environmental news.

Whatever topic you choose — as long as you are passionate about it — you can build a successful career from it.

Obstacles to prepare for

Becoming a citizen journalist is not without its challenges — and you need to be prepared for all of them.

Some of the obstacles you may face are:
  • criticism
  • trolls and online harassment
  • information overload
  • learning how to manage your time wisely, and
  • knowing what stories are relevant and what stories are not.


The mindset of a journalist

Finally, to become a successful citizen journalist, you need to get into the mindset of being a journalist. And this is only achieved by learning about how to:
  • find and identify reliable sources
  • fact-check
  • identify personal biases
  • privacy and consent laws
  • report fairly and accurately, and
  • learn about ethics in media.

What are your thoughts on citizen journalism? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Now that you know how to start your citizen journalist journey, take a look at the Ethics in freelance journalism.
*Image courtesy of Canva
**Information sourced from Britannica, Medium, Study.com and Media Helping Media.