Deb’s note: I’m so bad about responding to email lately. To tell you I receive thousands of pieces of mail each week is an understatement. I’m going to try something new – responding to some frequently asked questions.

We see the words “citizen journalist” or “citizen journalism” often on user generated content sites.  A citizen journalist is someone who reports news, but isn’t a traditional journalist and has no formal training. Many bloggers are considered citizen journalists when they discuss and analyze the news. Just because the word “journalist” is in the title, doesn’t mean a piece is well-written or well reported.

Is there money in citizen journalism?

Being a citizen journalist isn’t always lucrative. Most citizen journalism and user generated content sites pay by click, if at all. There’s a lot of discussion lately about responsibility to report fact over opinion on sites claiming to be the news, and many citizen journalists receive flack for editorializing.  Citizen journalists used to be the people who read the news. Now, thanks to the Internet, they “report” the news as well. When you consider many citizen journalists are angry or activists, it might be best to take their reporting with a grain of salt. That isn’t to say all citizen journalism and user generated content is biased or factually incorrect. However, it’s always a good rule of thumb to consider your source before using it for a quote or information.

Where can we find work as a citizen journalist?

Honestly, I haven’t been able to find any “citizen journalism” jobs that pay much money. All Voices advertises often for citizen journalists and writers but the pay is per click and I haven’t found anyone who earns a livable wage from this website. Not all is grim, however. I found an ad today paying $20 per post  for a citizen journalist for LiveCitizen. This is probably the only citizen journalism job I’ve seen that pays above the pay per click or traffic model.

Are you a citizen journalist? Do you have thoughts about citizen journalism? Please share below!

Do you have questions about freelance writing? Send it to wegetletters@gmail.com. I can’t promise to respond to it tomorrow. But I’ll respond as soon as I can.

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