Journal of Education & Social Policy

Citizens Journalism in India: a Case Study of Delhi
Ms. Kaveri Devi Mishra, Dr. Sridhar Krishnaswami

Abstract
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world, indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.- Margaret Mead At a time when the main stream media is seen diverting from its objective and focusing more on profit making motive many social and vital issues and stories relating to the masses are either neglected or rejected by the media that has led to a huge gap between issues reported and neglected. With an aim to bridge this gap a new concept and trend of participatory journalism has slowly but steadily emerged across the globe known as public or participatory journalism popularly known as “Citizen Journalism”. A form of journalism when any common man in his capacity as a citizen take up an initiative to express ideas irrespective of their educational or professional background, it is an act of citizens playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing, and disseminating news and information. This concept is now being explored via new media and technology that facilitates the reach to a large number of audiences with or without the support of mainstream media. This paper evaluates and analyzes the emergence, trend, and role of Citizen Journalism with explicit reference to Delhi Gang rape – Nirbhaya case in 2012. The paper at the end raises concerns on the ethics and to what extent unfiltered information can reach the masses and strike a balance in the society.

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