Rob Bailey







Citizen journalist or citizen agitator? Establishing Twitter in Medway's public sphere

On 20 February 2014, Medway Council in Kent became the first local authority in the UK to formally establish a bloggers' bench. It offered citizen journalists the fillip of official recognition and equality of access to full council meetings alongside the professional local media. It was also a precursor to the Local Audit and Accountability Act (2014), the government's tool for opening regional democracy to a 'new wave of local scrutiny' by bloggers and other 'armchair auditors'. This preliminary study examines how effectively - and willingly - these bloggers executed the fourth estate role that was expected of them through a content analysis of the first three months of their council coverage.

Keywords: Twitter, citizen journalism, democracy, regional newspapers, blogging


References

  1. Bruns, Axel, and Burgess, Jean (2012) Researching news discussion on twitter, Journalism Studies, Vol. 13, Nos 5-6 pp 801-814
  2. Burns, Alex (2010) Oblique strategies for ambient journalism, M/C Journal, Vol. 13, No. 2. Available online at http://journal.media-culture.org.au/index.php/mcjournal/article/viewArticle/230, accessed on 11 August 2014
  3. Carlson, Matt and Ben-Porath, Eran (2012) The people's debate, Journalism Practice, Vol. 6, No. 3 pp 302-316
  4. Curran, James and Seaton, Jean (2010), Power without responsibility, Abingdon, Oxon, Routledge, seventh edition
  5. Curran, James (2013) Statement to the Leveson Inquiry. Available online at http://www.mediareform.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Curran-statement-to-Leveson-Inquiry.pdf, accessed on 20 August 2014
  6. Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) (2011a) Citizen journalists and bloggers should be let in to public council meetings. Available online at http://www.gov.uk/government/news/citizen-journalists-and-bloggers-should-be-let-in-to-public-council-meetings, accessed on 16 May 2014
  7. Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) (2011b) Making local councils more transparent and accountable to local people. Available online at http://www.gov.uk/government/policies/making-local-councils-more-transparent-and-accountable-to-local-people, accessed on 16 May 2014
  8. Fico, Frederick, Lacy, Stephen, Wildman, Steven, Baldwin, Thomas, Bergan, Daniel and Zube, Paul (2013) Citizen journalism sites as information substitutes and complements for United States newspaper coverage of local governments, Digital Journalism, Vol. 1, No 1 pp 152-168
  9. Gil de Zuniger, Homero, and Hinsley, Amber (2013) The press versus the public, Journalism Studies, Vol. 14, No 6 pp 926-942
  10. Greenslade, Roy (2014) Council to reserve seats for citizen journalists. Available online at http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2014/jan/27/citizenmedia-localgovernment accessed on 16 May 2014
  11. Hermida, Alfred (2010) From TV to Twitter: How ambient news became ambient journalism, M/C Journal, Vol. 13, No 2. Available online at http://journal.media-culture.org.au/index.php/mcjournal/article/viewArticle/220, accessed on 11 August 2014
  12. Hermida, Alfred (2012) Tweets and truth, Journalism Practice, Vol. 6, Nos 5-6 pp 659-668
  13. Hold The Front Page (HTFP) (2012) Journalists banned from using Twitter at election count. Available online at http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2012/news/journalists-banned-from-using-twitter-at-election-count/, accessed on 10 June 2014
  14. Hold The Front Page (HTFP) (2013a) Regional daily launches fight to halt Twitter bans. Available online at http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2013/news/regional-daily-launches-fight-to-halt-twitter-bans/, accessed on 10 June 2014
  15. Hold The Front Page (HTFP) (2013b) 'Right to Tweet' could be extended after daily's campaign. Available online at http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2013/news/judges-to-review-right-to-tweet-after-dailys-campaign/, accessed on 10 June 2014
  16. Hold The Front Page (HTFP) (2013c) Reporter hit by Twitter ban as council defies Pickles. Available online at http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2013/news/reporter-hit-by-twitter-ban-as-council-defies-pickles/, accessed on 10 June 2014
  17. Hold The Front Page (HTFP) (2013d) Lift Twitter bans, weekly tells town councils. Available online at http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2013/news/weekly-calls-on-town-councils-to-lift-twitter-bans/, accessed on 10 June 2014
  18. Jones, Alan (2014) Hyper-local media steps up as newspaper industry declines, 21 July 2014. Available online at http://www.theguardian.com/public-leaders-network/2014/jul/21/newspaper-industry-declines-hyper-local-media
  19. Jones, David (2014) Nothing on TV? Just be a citizen journalist instead, Codgers' Club, Medway Messenger, 7 March
  20. KentOnline (2014) Medway Council offers recognition for citizen journalists at its meetings, metadata viewable at https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?tab=ww&ei=ttLoU6v8JobIhAfQ24DgBw&ved=0CBYQ1S4#q=medway+citizen+journalists, accessed on 11 August 2014
  21. Knight, Alan (2008) Who is a journalist? Journalism Studies, Vol. 9, No. 1 pp 117-131
  22. Lewis, Justin, Williams, Andrew and Franklin, Bob (2008) A compromised fourth estate?, Journalism Studies, Vol. 9, No. 1 pp 1-20
  23. Massey, Lizzie (2014a) Hashtag frenzy for citizen journalists, Medway Messenger, 28 February
  24. Massey, Lizzie (2014b) Council tax rise of £22, Medway Messenger, 24 February
  25. Massey, Lizzie (2014c) Ringside seat for citizen journos, Medway Messenger, 31 January
  26. Medway Council (2014) Special citizen journalists' row set up for Full Council meetings. Available online at http://www.medway.gov.uk/information/newspages/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=5644, accessed on 29 July 2014
  27. O'Neill, Dierdre, and O'Connor, Catherine (2009) The passive journalist: How sources dominate local news, Franklin, Bob (ed.), The Future of Newspapers, London, Routledge pp 363-376
  28. Posetti, Julie (2011) BBC social media summit fixates on creating 'open media', PBS Mediashift, 7 June 2011. Available online at http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2011/06/bbc-social-media-summit-fixates-on-creating-open-media158, accessed on 11 August 2014
  29. Press Gazette (2012) PG research reveals 242 local press closures in 7 years. Available online at http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/node/49215, accessed on 29 July 2014
  30. Public-i (2012) Cornwall Council webcast trends on Twitter. Available online at https://storify.com/public_i/cornwall-council-webcast-trends-on-twitter, accessed on 11 August 2014
  31. Reich, Zvi (2009) How citizens create news stories: The 'news access' problem reversed, Franklin, Bob (ed.), The Future of Newspapers, London, Routledge pp 110-129
  32. Skovsgaar, Morten, and van Dalen, Arjen (2013) The fading public voice, Journalism Studies, Vol. 14, No 3 pp 371-386
  33. Temple, Michael (2005) Carry on campaigning: The case for 'dumbing down' in the fight against local electoral apathy, Local Government Studies, Vol. 31, No 4 pp 415-431
  34. Turner, Graeme (2010) Ordinary people and the media: The demotic turn, London, Sage
  35. Vize, Richard (2013) Social, local media turns its fire on local government, Crowe, Jessica (ed.), The state of accountability in 2013, Centre for Public Scrutiny. Available online at http://www.cfps.org.uk/publications?item=7261&offset=0, pp 62-67

Note on the contributor

Rob Bailey is lecturer in Reporting and Writing at the Centre for Journalism at the University of Kent. He previously worked as a reporter, chief reporter and news editor for the Kent Messenger Group. His research interests are in political engagement, the future of the regional press and hyperlocal citizen journalism. Contact: R.Bailey@kent.ac.uk