One of the major criticisms of citizen journalism is the possibility of bias due to the lack of moderation. This reasoning is, on the face of it, commendable. Upholding journalistic standards of integrity is to be strived for.
However, when one considers this criticism in light of the current journalistic landscape, one can only feel a sense of hypocrisy. Many news outlets report the news in a fashion that reflects a certain agenda, and will be biased because of this. This is best exemplified in the USA by comparing the reporting of left-wing news outlet MSNBC to right-wing channel Fox News (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/us/politics/02tube.html?_r=2&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin). Such a gulf is less obvious in Australia, but does exist in some respects, evidenced by the requirement for the recent media inquiry (http://www.skynews.com.au/national/article.aspx?id=745259&vId=).
These biases raise the question of whether it is bias that these news outlets are seeking to avoid, or simply bias that doesn’t align with their own agenda. Perhaps the answer is both. Regardless, relinquishing any control over what they feed their consumers is counter-intuitive for these traditional news outlets, and unlikely to occur anytime soon.
thejameslamb 