Civic journalism
The civic journalism movement is an attempt to abandon the notion that journalists and their audiences are spectators in political and social processes.
Lippmann viewed the role of the journalist to be simply recording what policy makers say and then providing that information to the public.
Decades later Dewey's argument was further explored by Jay Rosen and Davis Merritt, who were looking at the importance of the media in the democratic process.
In order to make it work they are willing to declare an end to their neutrality on certain questions – for example: whether a community comes to grips with its problems, whether political earns the attention it claims.
[2] He reports that the rise of this idea combined with ongoing dissent over traditional journalistic practice lead to the movement of public journalism.
"This new journalistic movement was born to defeat the plagues of modern democracy in which citizens are alienated from the civic life and reduced to passive voters".
In order to maintain that authority, that right to be heard, the referee must exhibit no interest in the final score other than it is arrived at under the rules.
Like the referee, to maintain our authority – the right to be heard – we must exhibit no partisan interest in the specific outcome other than it is arrived at under the democratic process.
As inherent participants in the process, we should do our work in ways that aid in the resolution of public problems by fostering broad citizen engagement.
This is seen as civic journalism has adopted a more holistic approach towards recognizing the need for criminal justice reform, societal improvement, enhanced professional capacity, and strengthened institutions that support free speech and development of technological infrastructure.
[8] Specifically, civic journalism has played a major role in the development of countries by helping spur democratic transitions, encouraging economic growth, conducting public health campaigns, and imposing accountability of politicians.
[10] Many believe the role that civic journalists play in keeping politicians and corporations in check is one of their most important functions.
Many believe that the presence of many private media companies operating in a single country is one of the best ways to increase the effectiveness of democracy.
In recent years, some have questioned the ethics of prominent media conglomerates, such as Facebook, and the role they play in civic journalism.
For instance, in the wake of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, traditional news channels relied heavily on videos, pictures, and comments from social media platforms for coverage of the event.
[19] Similarly, ethical concerns regarding civic journalism on social media arise as our laws are not always well equipped to handle emerging issues regarding data privacy,[20] censorship,[21] and other contemporary subjects.
Proponents of civic journalism believe that this philosophy will allow individuals to have a greater say in decision-making and in the broader political sphere.
Recently, news publishers undergo more and more observation as their ethics and content come under extensive scrutiny for political biases.
Political and civic journalism provide an avenue for the media and the general public to integrate into the democratic process to promote transparency.
Proponents believe integrating journalism into the democratic process helps inform voters and makes them more aware of what is occurring in the political sphere.
Opponents find civic journalism to be risky and ineffective and believe it brings about conflicts of interest and necessitates involvement in unethical public affairs.
