racoma.com.phJ. Angelo Racoma on technology, economics, writing, problogging, and getting things done

I was recently interviewed by a journalism student about citizen journalism. And as a matter of preference and policy, I like to post interview transcripts here in full, so I’m not misquoted or taken out of context. Here are the questions and my responses.

What is citizen journalism?

To me, citizen journalism is any action done by anyone that aims to share information to the rest of the world. This can be in any medium, but given the popularity of the Internet both as a mass “broadcast” and a “narrowcast” medium, blogs, social networks and other such new media are often attached to the term “citizen journalism.” However, as may be evident with “letters to the editor” or “citizen patrol”
portions of broadcast and print media, citizen journalism can also exist in mass media.

What motivates you to engage in this kind of activity?

My main medium for sharing information online is through my blogs. My main motivation is my love for writing, both creative and for informational purposes. Most of the “citizen journalism” I have done
so far would be about topics that i’m keen about, such as technology, literature, and the like.

How is the practice of citizen journalism similar and/or different from professional journalism?

The Internet has broken certain barriers, I believe. For instance, mainstream media has been picking up on grassroots reportage. Blog posts are often cited on some news reports. The other side of the coin
would be that professional journalists are also discovering the benefits of new media, and are also contributing their commentary there.

I could say that, in practical terms, what sets citizen journalism and professional journalism apart is that professional journalists earn compensation from their activity. Most grassroots reporting would come
out of personal interest or need.

In more operational terms, however, professional journalists do follow certain norms and standards. And there are editorial procedures often followed. There are fact-checking, protection of sources, and the
like. However, this doesn’t mean non-professionals cannot also subscribe to these standards and practices.

What sets you apart from professional journalists?

I can say that a “citizen journalist” would usually pursue this activity out of passion. I wouldn’t write about something that I’m not interested in. If I were to make a living out of something, then that
makes it less fun (and somehow less interesting).

Is it important to set and follow certain rules and standards in gathering and disseminating news on your part? Why? How?

I believe in being responsible with what one writes online. What you write, what you post, what you say becomes public record, and can often be archived through some means (even if you delete a post).

See following posts:

• How to blog a complaint (Blog Herald)
• The anatomy of breaking news (racoma.net)

What are the matters that the public needs to understand about citizen journalism?

In my opinion, the public needs to understand that a lot of people now have access to mediums like blogs, social networks, microblogging services (such as Twitter) and others, that enable them to spread the word about something at the grassroots level. Citizen journalism doesn’t necessarily have to be about a political event, a calamity, disaster, crime or whatnot. It happens everyday when you write about your personal experiences, when you review a movie, when you photograph your new gadget.

I guess it’s a matter of perspective and definitions. To me, citizen journalism is any act by any person in which he/she shares information online, be these fact or opinion.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of citizen journalism?

I would say it’s about empowerment. Information is no longer centralized. Perhaps the disadvantage of this is abuse and misuse. See my cited posts above. The power to inform, when used inappropriately, can cause panic and security risks.

For instance, if you witness a heinous crime and you post about it on your blog, do you honestly think you would just get away with it? (Why not try to be anonymous, instead?)

Also, bloggers, Twitter users, social networkers might not necessarily be too keen on following some rules or laws. Sure, we might get excited with leaked designs of the latest gadgets and products? But
doesn’t that constitute intellectual property infringements?

What are the limits of citizen journalism?

I can say that citizen journalism is only limited by the interest of people in any given topic. If there’s no one interested about something, then no one will share information about it. No one will
care. I guess it’s the same with mainstream journalism.

What problems do you usually encounter in relation to this activity? If there are any, why?

Overeagerness and irresponsibility. Citizen journalism is like a weapon. It can keep society secure by keeping the bad guys at bay. But what if you shoot the good guy by mistake? Or what if you shoot
yourself?

As with blogging, tweeting, or any medium, these are powerful tools that should be used wisely and responsibly.

They say print media is dead. But I don’t think so.

No. Print media is not dead. Perhaps print media as a business is a declining trade. It’s a sunset industry. But print media as tangible objects … It’s something we keep alive.

Read here why I think print media is not dead.

We are helping distribute an audio and audio/visual media of the Divine Mercy prayers produced by someone close to us. I’ve made the audio files available for download here, and I will encode the video version soon. If you would prefer it in hard media (CDs), then please email me so I can send you a few copies.

This is a free-to-distribute devotional to the Divine Mercy, containing relevant prayers in song and recited versions, in English and Filipino: the Chaplet to the Divine Mercy, and the 3 o’ Clock Prayer.

Please help spread the word.

The media, originally in CD format includes spoken and sung versions, both in English and Filipino. For a backgrounder on the devotion to the Divine Mercy, you can refer to ewtn.

From the diary of a young Polish nun, a special devotion began spreading throughout the world in the 1930s. The message is nothing new, but is a reminder of what the Church has always taught through scripture and tradition: that God is merciful and forgiving and that we, too, must show mercy and forgiveness. But in the Divine Mercy devotion, the message takes on a powerful new focus, calling people to a deeper understanding that God’s love is unlimited and available to everyone — especially the greatest sinners.

If you are curious about the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy, you can refer to this site.

Jesus said later to Sister Faustina:

“Say unceasingly this chaplet that I have taught you. Anyone who says it will receive great Mercy at the hour of death. Priests will recommend it to sinners as the last hope. Even the most hardened sinner, if he recites this Chaplet even once, will receive grace from My Infinite Mercy. I want the whole world to know My Infinite Mercy. I want to give unimaginable graces to those who trust in My Mercy….”

“....When they say this Chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person not as the just judge but as the Merciful Savior”.

I promised my son I would help spread the word about the Divine Mercy. And new media is the best way I can do it, given my means and talents. I know that my son is helping my family and me from above! Please do help pass on the message.

(image source)

Yesterday I put up a short commentary about the Boy Bastos (literally translates to lewd boy or rude boy, depending on context) issue. I just breezed through the links, and didn’t really read in-depth. I’ve decided to revisit this issue, with a more objective perspective.

Let me highlight the press release published in the Philippine Senate’s official website.

Sure, the press release itself is lacking, in terms of having a grasp of the actual concepts behind the sites and applications involved. For instance, the Boy Bastos site was referred to as providing “access to a YouTube,” (emphasis mine) as if YouTube were an object itself. However, the ratonale behind the whole thing is noble, I would think (if a bit misguided).

Senator Loren Legarda is known to be a staunch advocate of women’s rights. And it is for this reason, among others, I believe, that she is popular among her constituents (she topped in the Senate elections in 2001 and 2007). True enough I, for one, would definitely want to protect my wife and kids from the dangers that lurk around the corner. And I’m pretty sure other people would feel this way.

Legarda is author of Senate Bill 1375, the proposed Anti-Computer Pornography Act, which seeks to reinforce the war on electronic smut.

Under the bill, peddlers of online porn and other “indecent materials” would be punished with up to six years in prison or a fine of as much as P500,000, or both.

The bill provides that it would be illegal for any remote computer facility operator, electronic service provider or electronic bulletin board service provider to knowingly transmit, offer or attempt to send any communication that contains indecent material, to a person under 18 years of age.

It would also be unlawful for them “to allow access to transmit indecent material to a minor.”

However, in terms of proposing legislation, the Internet is a difficult thing to handle. It’s like a two-pronged tongue. It’s like beauty and the beast in the same person (or Jekyll and Hyde?).

The Internet is a powerful tool and medium that espouses and personifies freedom of information. This is freedom both as in free beer and freedom as in free speech. This means information is both free to get, and free for you to disseminate and distribute, as you please.

So with the Internet, the flow of information is largely unrestricted. People exchange ideas freely. People communicate faster. This is the very reason that some regimes try to curb, censor and even ban this medium—for the very reason that they fear dissent among their citizens. In most cases, the Internet still prevails.

However, along with the beauty of freedom comes the ugly side (which is also a profitable side, depending on your perspective). Pornography has been known to be a driver of technology, and along with the freedom of information that the Internet gives us is also the freedom to transmit less desirable content and information (again, desirability is subjective).

So the question now is how to combat the evils brought about by this new medium, like exploitation of women, children, and individuals in general, but still keeping in mind that the Internet is a different animal that cannot be contained by space.

Here’s what I propose

• Educate your kids on the dangers of the Internet. Teach them not to share personal and private information online. Teach them not to haphazardly post photographs online. Teach them to only talk to trusted people online. Teach them to be responsible with what they read and watch online.
• Educate parents (most important!). Teach them how to use the Internet themselves; I’m aware most kids today are more tech-savvy than their folks. Teach parents about the benefits and the dangers of the online world. Teach them how to cope with the dangers, without necessarily having to curtail their children’s freedoms.
• Educate lawmakers, law enforcers and their staff. Teach them how to handle the Internet as an entity. It cannot be contained by space or geography. Unless data itself resides on servers within a country’s soil, it may be difficult to prosecute within one’s jurisdiction. Help them keep up to date with the trends and issues.
• Teach lawmakers and law enforcers how to handle the Internet as a medium. Can ISPs be held liable for serving access to pirated content? What about pornographic content? Can social media apps be held liable for questionable content that its users upload? Can blogs be liable for comments made by readers? It’s just like blaming the telephone company when you receive undesirable messages like death threats.
• Teach respect. Earn respect.
• Actively promote productive use of the Internet as a medium.

I would think the best way to keep people from engaging in illicit activities (crime, immorality, etc.) is to effect changes from within. Society’s ills cannot be solved by imposing expectations without first ensuring that the people’s attitudes are in tune with what society thinks is right. This would be unrealistic.

I think there are two ways by which you can make people follow you. One is if they fear you, and another is if they love you. Imposing a reign of fear will sure curb or minimize whatever undesirable acts, but this will only foster dissent (and deep down inside, people will want to disobey). Focus on the positive, and people will do what you think is right because they also think it is right.

If you try to impose filters on your home computer or network, so that your teenaged sons cannot access porn, they will only find workarounds and get access to these through other means. Perhaps they can tunnel through proxies. Perhaps they can turn off the filters themselves. Perhaps they can still gain access at a friend’s place, or a public terminal. Or maybe they can get hard copies of lewd magazines pretending to be men’s lifestyle mags). But if you help them learn about the sacredness of sex and the beauty of the human body (of course, in an interesting and non-boring way), I don’t think they will resort to pornography.

Same goes with your daughters. Teach them to be confident with themselves and to be smart, and they will be less likely taken advantage of (by the teenaged boys whose parents impose filters and restrictions ).

Why they need people like us

And so folks, here’s the reason why our country—and those in power—need people like us. We are well-versed with new media like social media, blogging, podcasting, Web 2.(insert number here). And we are well aware of the potentials of the Internet as a medium, both for good and for bad. It is our responsibility to use this medium for good, and to guide our fellow citizens in using this medium in a productive manner.

So whichever side of the issue you stand on, I think you would agree with me on this.

The only freedom that is of enduring importance is the freedom of intelligence, that is to say, freedom of observation and of judgment, exercised in behalf of purposes that are intrinsically worth while. The commonest mistake made about freedom is, I think, to identify it with freedom of movement, or, with the external or physical side of activity. – John Dewey