your fad put me out of a job... or did it?

Do you use the Internet?

Have you ever written a comment about something online?

Maybe you took pictures of an event and posted it on your facebook, myspace, blah blah blah, that list is endless.

You're a citizen journalist.

You just took my job.

No, I'm kidding. But seriously. Maybe you didn't realise it, but going online and adding your opinions, pictures, thoughts, recipes, sexual fantasies, etc. got you involved in the act of bringing news to the people. Maybe it's not really important news (how many people care about what you did with your boyfriend last night? Maybe one or two... and they're probably faking anyway) and maybe it's not even the truth. But it's the basis of what journalism is. So without even knowing, you've become a journalist. Accidentally! Oops! Didn't see that one coming, did you?

Journalism is one of the only careers where it's totally acceptable to not have a degree and still practice. There are so many people out there passing themselves off as professionals when they just know alot about what they're talking about. Ask a journalist to explain journalism to you. I'm sure you'll get a weird look and then some excuse about a pending deadline that needs all of their attention right away. If we knew them, why would we divulge our secrets to make it easier for others to do what we do the way we do it?

There's still this huge debate on the existence of citizen journalism. But since journalism is already one of those broadly defined topics, I think there's a place for it. You're a journalist - you're just not getting paid. You know what we should call you? Interns. That's right - most journalism students actually fight for positions where they can write stories and not get paid for them. We have to scour the streets searching for the next big thing, bang on doors and talk to countless boring people in order to find those few interesting tidbits that consumers are going to want to read. You just happened to be waiting in line at the bank with your camera phone in hand when those belaclava-clad men pulled out their machine guns and started yelling at everyone to hit the deck. You're journalism-ing (I made that word up just now. If you're from Webster and you want to use it, you need to ask me first) from the comfort of your lumbar-supporting, obus form, swiveling computer chair at your leisure. You armchair journalist, you. Run out and tell your folks, I'm sure they'll be proud you accomplished something.

Ok, so there are places out there taking this phenomena and using it to their advantage, like nowpublic and orato, and that's great. Why not harness the power of the people... it's free... if Al Gore could, I bet he'd suggest we use human power to power the world. Wait... he does suggest that. Never mind...

And sometimes, citizen journalism can be great. In fact, I'm a huge proponent of it... although maybe you can't consider celebrity blogging to be citizen journalism... but as a quote unquote professional student journalist, it's my biggest guilty pleasure, and one I'm not afraid to hide.

So blog on citizen journalists, blog on... and more power to you. One day you'll all get bored of it anyway and jump on the next bandwagon that rolls by... it's how you jumped on this one anyway.