Participatory Journalism Is The Way To Go

Picture courtesy of: Johntv.com

Participatory journalism is not only absolutely aw some but greatly needed. Journalists are great and truly deserve their title as professional news makers because not only is their job immensely difficult but it requires true professionalism, tenacity and credibility.

However, let's face it, the news industry is lacking and it's impossible for journalists and media giants to cover every crime,every wrongdoing,every government fall-out and that's where participatory journalism comes in. Take this guy for example, he makes a living filming traffic officers who fail to obey traffic law and order.

Jimmy Justice is famous for doing a job that is both needed and which falls, according to me, under the journalism banner. City officials are supposed to keep an eye on their officers but you and I both know that flagrant lack of time and funding makes doing so nearly impossible.

In the meantime, Jimmy Justice is giving-up some of his own time to contribute to society by exp posing those who believe themselves to be above the law. Jimmy's videos have traveled the world and have created outrage and discontent vis-a-vis law enforcement and their own lack of compliance. Personally, that is what I was taught in journalism school, to report what I feel is unjust and that seems to be Jimmy Justices' mission as well.

He's not alone either, Brian Bates is another video vigilante who goes after inner-city prostitution. He has tremendously contributed to cleaning-up his inner-city streets by cracking down on prostitution. He films, captures and sometimes arrests the offenders caught in the act all while shooting his video camera and distributing the images all over television and the web. That to me, is another example of great journalism.

Whether news comes from journalists or dedicated civilians what's the difference? What we want, or at least what I want, is to be updated and informed as much as possible. News is relative and those who report it are also, Jimmy Justice and Brian Bates do some of the best, in-your-face reporting I've seen in years and in the end, that's all that matters to me, not who reported what rather than simply good reporting.