My paper on Citizen Journalism

AMIC Conference Proceedings
Convergence, Citizen Journalism & Social ChangeBuilding CapacityWednesday 26 March – Friday 28 March, 2008Venue: Hotel Grand Chancellor, Brisbane
The name of the editors: Prof. Michael BromleyThe name of the publisher: School of Journalism & Communication, The University of QueenslandThe Copyright date: March 20, 2008ISSN: 1038 6130
The papers in these proceedings have been independently double peer reviewed on the basis of the full paper, prior to publication.
Preface
Two of the world’s leading figures in the rapidly expanding citizen journalism movement were key speakers at a conference organized by UQ’s School of Journalism and Communication.
Steven Gan, co-founder of Malaysiakini, and Vipul Kant Upadhyay, who started Merinews in India, provided first-hand accounts of setting up and running media web sites which post content provided primarily by ordinary citizens.
They were among practitioners and academics from India, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK and Australia who attended the conference held in Brisbane March 26-28.
Participants heard about citizen journalism projects throughout Asia, involving among others primary school students, individual bloggers and local communities. They were also briefed on mainstream media developments in light of the phenomenon by Pippa Leary, general manager media of Fairfax Digital.
The School of Journalism and Communication jointly organized the event with the Singapore-based Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC) and the Convergent Journalism and Globalisation Research Unit in the Creative Industries Faculty at QUT.
The chairman of AMIC, Prof. Ang Pen Hwa, and the secretary-general, Dr. Indrajit Banerjee, attended the conference.
The online brisbanetimes.com.au sponsored the event.

Papers:
Alan Knight
Alexey Bykov
Axel Bruns
Benjamin Isakhan
Braham, Emily and Rodrigues, Usha M
Brij Kuthiala
Cherian George
Dev Vrat Singh
Donna Chu
Gitiara Nasreen and Shameem Mahmud
Hsiang-yi Tang
Jason Wilson, Barry Saunders, Axel Bruns
Jennifer Gordon
John Cokley
Kalinga Seneviratne
Kitty van Vuuren
Lee Duffield, Amanda Watson & Mark Hayes
Luke Goode
Luxia (Peggy) Li
Marcelo Träsel
Mark Hayes
Michael Barker
Michael Barker Mediating Protests
Mingfeng Chee and Shanlong Chen
Mohammad Sahid Ullah
Nisha Ramlutchman
Oluyinka Osunkunlex
Rahman Md Mahmoodur
Sweta Singh
Tan Tarn How & Arun Mahizhnan
Wang Lay Kim
Xu Xiaoge
Zheng Jiawen and Hao Xiaoming

It is not easy to get things done in India

Just read what I had to do for getting a duplicate certificate of my degree certificate issued from GJU, Hisar, Haryana. This will give you a feel of the difficulty one can face in getting even a simple thing like this done. I am an educated, english speaking, reasonably informed individual with a basic understanding of the system. I wonder how those without the above, especially women get their things done.I had misplaced my degree certificate. Called up GJU and was given two other nos on which to try. Finally I reached result section and they said that they need a draft of 100 rupees along with an affidavit stating the loss. The affidavit to be signed by 'First Class Magistrate'.So...go to the bank and get the draft done. But where to find a 'First Class Magistrate (FCM)?' I do a bit to social networking and am told that the SDM is FCM. So the person who prepared the tect matter for my affidavit for 50 bucks tells me to go to Nazafgarh BDO and get the affidavit signed. He charged me 50 bucks. He put the seal of notary public on it. On reaching SDM office at 10 I go from one window to another to find out where can I get the affidavit attested. Finally I am guided to the SDM's secretary (Madam) who sits in the room next to the SDM. Madam is yet to arrive and am told she'll be there by 12. So I talk to two other men standing behind those tables in that room and dealing with other applicants. One of them tell me that the stamp of notary is not required so get the affidavit redone. I walk up to the shants outsied the office and get the affidavit done for 40 rupees and 45 minutes and huge disgust. I walk up to the madam's office again this time to submit the affidavit. Then the man in command of things tells me that the SDM does not have the power of first class magistrate. Then he says no one in the campus has the power. So he tells me to go to Rohini, Tees Hazari etc. Then I try calling up the lawyer who guided me to this place. His cell is switched off. So I call up my husband in Singapore, who is headed for his exams. He gives a reference of a lawyer who sits in Patiala House. This is thanks to his school friend who was currently in Jehanabad, Bihar. Else he could have done the job himself.So now I drive from Nazafgarh to Uttam Nagar, park my vehicle, board a metro, get down at Pragati Maida, take an auto (Patiala House is not on metro feeder bus road) for 20 bucks, walk through the narrow chambers of lawyers giving a schezophrenic feel. But it was easy to locate this lawyer. He says he'll get the work done and will give affidavit by tomorrow. I am glad as I think this is fast. He then says I'll have to pay a commission amount or something. It will be 200-300 rupees. I am ok with it. Since I have already spent quite a lot. Next day is my office and I stay in Dwarka around 18 -20 kms from Patiala House. So when do I collect the affidavit. So I send my sister and she gets it. The affidavit is with me now. (There are many other things that I have not narrated here )Now that I have narrated this big story...there are certain questions that are baffling me:1. Why does the university need an affidavit of First Class Magistrate?2. What if I am unable to reach a First Class Magistrate?The university tells me that FCM is the last and final authority.3. Why not a notary public?4. Since mine was a distance programme, why do I need to call up Hisar every time. Why can't the university have office in New Delhi.5. Can there not be a single window for all such cases. Why call up one department only to be told to call up another.And so on and so forth.I can well imagine the plight of many like me and others who are not as resourceful. Especailly of those seeking legal help that may affect their life more seriously.

Citizen Journalism is a new found tool for Indians

India is a 'vast' country. The population is big. The physical landscape massive. The languages diverse and people form a cultural mosaic of difference.

Problems are equally in abundance. Poverty and hunger, illiteracy and joblessnes, malpractices in governance and the powerlessness of citizens, they are major impediments for decent livelihood in this country.

Till a few years back, the power of the citizens as individuals got reflected only during political elections. And then they became homogenous amorphous lumps or 'masses'. Read any newspaper and you know what I mean. Media in India is mainstream and hence one of the key determinants of 'news' remains 'something that interests a large number of people.' I often wondered while teaching this news characteristics to my students if the mass media like newspapers, television, radio can ever become the voice of the people. My observations of the mass media confirm that a lot of people get left out in the process as most of the time they do not confirm to the conventional definition of news.

I worked with both the government and private television news channels and have consciously observed the patterns in the news industry. Here I wish to admit that mass media has a purpose but that is not a solution for the information need of all. There is a need for altenate voice and space and an alternate defintion of news.

Thanks to blogs, just about anyone can become a publisher and hence this dependency on big corporate organisations for jobs and permissions to publish is reduced.

Citizen Journalism is new to India and professionals are still grappling with its theoretical and practical framework. But if it is anything 'for, by and of' the people', then it is sure to bring about a sea change if not a revolution in the Indian mediascape.

There are quite a few initiatives that are being experimented to listen to citizens and talk to them about them so that it helps them better their lives. I have also undertaken one such initiatives, 'MYOWN' to train women panchayat leaders in Bihar, one of the most backward states of India to talk about their issues and assist them in publishing a video blog so that their concerns are highlighted.

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-WOWBg5QibKMQqwhQH3DS7vqu0ZE4kw--;_ylt=AsaWd5iC8tOBhblm3VZz6.G0AOJ3?cq=1

This project is experimental and as of now self-funded. The project is of tremendous importance and holds promises for the citizens, the people of Bihar who live in villages.