X

2005--Year of the digital citizen

Michelle Meyers
Michelle Meyers wrote and edited CNET News stories from 2005 to 2020 and is now a contributor to CNET.
Michelle Meyers
2 min read

There's lots of talk out there about a BBC article that declares 2005 the year of the digital citizen. Author Jo Twist uses examples like the London bombings and the U.S. hurricanes reported through blogs, to illustrate the year's growth in citizen journalism.

digitalcitizen

"Crucially, what 2005 proved was that far from these techno tools being purely dumb funnels for the same paid-for content from mainstream media, they had the chance to become powerful tools for political expression and reportage," says Twist, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research. "The consumer was turning into the citizen with a meaningful role to play. Media started to look more participatory and inclusive."

In addition, Twist notes this year's explosion in podcasting--recently declared the --as well as in blogging and video blogging, or vlogging.

No one is arguing Twist's conclusions. They've just been reflecting on their significance and wondering how things will evolve in 2006.

"Year of the podcast and now it's year of the citizen journalist. They haven't seen anything yet!!! Just wait for 2006. Happy Vlogyear!"
--XOLO.TV

"I'm reminded that this participatory journalism is only just beginning, however, it's a very exciting time for the role of everyday people in newsmaking."
--Greg's Blog

"It will be interesting to see how this develops during 2006...Those in PR must try to stay abreast of these developments and understand their implications for the companies and organizations they represent. That's daunting since the trusted approaches of the past will now start to falter, but it's also a great opportunity to help guide those companies through these dynamics."
--Morgan McLintic on PR

"We can all be broadcast journalists now just using our cell phones and Flickr. This seems to me to have profound implications for educators."
--Virginia's Community of Learning Blog