Citizen journalism

The basic idea of "Citizen Journalism" has been with us in some form since the very beginning. Journalists have often been thought of as representatives of the people, voices of the citizenry. Those who could read, write, print, and circulate information without approval by the state were thought of as independent -- and therefore a check on governments, monarchs, and the aristocracy.

Since the beginning of the 21st Century, the Internet has become a new version of the printing press, decentralizing the power to publish. This decentralization, in turn, has led many to suggest that it was time for a new kind of journalism where citizens themselves would actually do the reporting. In recent years, new media organizations such as Assignment Zero, NowPublic and News Trust have defined themselves as outlets for citizens to publish articles, news reports, and evaluate news coverage.