Tradition and Hegemony

Traditionalists dearly cling on to the belief that the “time-honoured” practices of journalism (print and, to a certain extent, broadcast) are superior to emerging technologies. Dismissing the citizen journalism movement to mere soft journalism status, the cultural elitist beliefs reek of Arnoldian superiority and of taste distinction that is evident in the high/mass culture divide. This preservation of traditional news values is evident in Adam L. Penenberg’s piece that was featured in Wired magazine.

This thinking is detrimental to empowering media consumers. As power is shifting to the consumers, newsmakers (and I use this word in both a literal and ironic sense) are publishing articles that decry against citizen journalism in order to pander to potential hesitations that other consumers may have. After all, who wouldn’t trust a professional journalist who is trained to report the news?

What is more horrifying is the sheer audacity of David Leigh as he stresses the importance of upholding traditional values, hiding behind a veil of an almost apologetic person trapped in this struggle (as he claims he is for the future but quickly laments the lost of the role of the reporter). Furthermore, Leigh mentions that people link top-down authority to fascist policies yet concludes his article by stating that

"...the power of reporting does not lie entirely — or even mostly — in the nobility of its practitioners, or their professional skills. Or their celebrity status. It also lies in the preservation of media outlets that are themselves powerful."

He himself dismisses the journalist to the power of the media outlet!

Are we, the consumers of the final product, and journalists alike, powerless to the almighty outlets? According to Leigh, yes, because blogs and other non-professional “reporting” will flood the real news. After all, “[t]hey enjoy the sound of their own voices and confirm their own prejudices through the delicious experience of self-publishing. Paradoxically, more becomes less” (Leigh. The Guardian). Leigh does not realize that consumers do indeed have autonomy and can search through the flood. Scouring several sources is not a race to the bottom as he describes, it gives an individual contextual insight. I do find it troubling that Leigh, as an investigative journalist makes this claim as do other investigative journalism sources (such as Mother Jones among others).

Any new medium is typically held up to scrutiny by die-hard traditionalists. Usually, the new is associated with the masses, further fanning the flames against the discussed technology. Take photography as an example. Several scholars dismissed it as a mere representation and refused to see the artistic merit behind it. After all, a single print does not take nearly as much time as an oil-based painting AND the masses love the portraits that they can get. Citizen journalism is no different. Since blogging has been embraced by pop culture, it will continue to be treated as second rate, left to the realm of soft journalism.

I say let’s enjoy the ride and see where this movement is headed. Is it truly counter-cultural? Probably not. Corporate arenas are already profiting from it. But it is rocking the hegemonic hold that News Inc. outlets have on the consumer and I, for one, am delighted in that. I leave you with a photomontage by Hannah Hoch, a Berlin Dadaist that I feel shares similar philosophies with the modern citizen journalist.