Citizen at work

Here’s a great example of citizen journalism — citizen photojournalism — at work.

Big news in Ashland, Oregon is that falling enrolment and funding cuts are leading to layoffs and three programs — German, geography and geology — are being cut at Southern Oregon University.

The Ashland Daily Tidings has the story, accompanied by two weak pictures: a studio shot of the university’s president, Dr. Mary Cullinan, and an exterior shot of the university.

Meanwhile, Dennis Dunleavy has a post at his Student Matters blog that includes six photos from the meeting between Cullinan and students today. The images, such as the one of student Rachel Shapiro wiping away tears, capture the emotion and tension of the event, in a way that the local newspaper badly failed to do.

Dennis is a former photojournalist who teaches at SOU. He’s also an engaged citizen, with access to a newsworthy event, and with a desire to help broaden the journalism, adding depth to what’s available from the usual sources. All of that — engagement, access and desire — make up a pretty good definition of the citizen journalists out there.

Critics of citizen journalists miss the boat when they point to “the people formerly known as audience” and suggest they won’t cover the news. Of course, they won’t. Not all of them (or even many of them) and definitely not all the time.

But when personal engagement and desire to tell come together with access, there are a significant number of people (former journalists, journalists to be, and those with no interest in becoming journalists) who will report.

As “readers,” we’re richer for it.

NOTE: Dennis, in his post, linked to local newspapers and their coverage of the university’s woes. They should return the favour and link to his photos.

TAGS: PHOTOJOURNALISM, CITIZEN JOURNALISM