Paul Bradshaw discusses user generated content and citizen journalism. He notes that news organizations want community engagement but often get distracted users sharing unrelated content. Bradshaw emphasizes managing online communities and getting users who are passionate about sharing knowledge and having their voices heard. He cites examples where user contributions on websites and social media provided important information and data for journalists.
1. Paul Bradshaw Senior Lecturer, Online Journalism, Magazines and New Media, School of Media, Birmingham City University, UK (mediacourses.com) Blogger, Online Journalism Blog User Generated Content and Citizen Journalism
44. “ [W]hen the contaminated fuel incident happened a little while ago the BBC’s question on its website asking people to tell us where they bought their fuel if they had had a problem engine was the most accurate data any organisation in the country had about the location of the problem.
45. “ Last year our defence correspondent Paul Wood became aware of widespread concern within the army about the condition of barracks. By using army websites and obtaining material from soldiers’ families he obtained pictures and information that painted a devastating picture of sub-standard accommodation.”
46. “ Contributors posting on Twitter provided an earlier picture of the Barack Obama victory in the Iowa caucuses than any professionally organised exit poll or data collection. The potential for this sort of journalistic enterprise is only just being realised.”
47. Peter Horrocks, head of BBC Newsroom http://blogs.pressgazette.co.uk/fleetstreet/2008/01/09/horrocks-only-1-per-cent-of-bbc-audience-contributes-ugc-value-apparent-only-when-filtered/
54. Paul Bradshaw Senior Lecturer, Online Journalism, Magazines and New Media, School of Media, Birmingham City University, UK (mediacourses.com) Blogger, Online Journalism Blog [email_address]