---
schema: 1
type: term
title: _citizen journalism_
description: >-
  **_Citizen journalism_** — as used in this channel's material — is news
  reporting done by ordinary people and eyewitnesses rather than professional
  newsrooms, typically shared directly and quickly from the scene of events. The
  material cites it as a rising **substitute** for traditional journalism:
  eyewitnesses on the Hudson River reported the US Airways crash faster than
  established news organizations could.
canonical: >-
  https://liquidgold.cc/channel/everyinc/explore/term/citizen-journalism-033c87378d8f
markdown: >-
  https://liquidgold.cc/channel/everyinc/explore/term/citizen-journalism-033c87378d8f.md
llms: null
parent: 'https://liquidgold.cc/channel/everyinc/llms.txt'
channel: everyinc
updated: '2026-10-23T22:12:35.346Z'
language: null
children: []
---


# \_citizen journalism\_

Canonical: https://liquidgold.cc/channel/everyinc/explore/term/citizen-journalism-033c87378d8f

Parent: [Channel index](https://liquidgold.cc/channel/everyinc/llms.txt)

## Definition

**_Citizen journalism_** — as used in this channel's material — is news reporting done by ordinary people and eyewitnesses rather than professional newsrooms, typically shared directly and quickly from the scene of events. The material cites it as a rising **substitute** for traditional journalism: eyewitnesses on the Hudson River reported the US Airways crash faster than established news organizations could.

nIn this channel's material, **_citizen journalism_** shows up as a real-world force reshaping the competitive position of traditional news organizations — specifically as a *substitute threat* in Michael Porter's Five Forces analysis of the **New York Times**.nnThe example given is vivid: when US Airways Flight 1549 landed on the **Hudson River**, the first reports came not from professional newsrooms but from **eyewitnesses on the scene** — ordinary people capturing and sharing the news faster than established outlets could respond.nnnnnWithin the Five Forces lens, citizen journalism functions as a **rising substitute**: coverage produced by the public competes directly with what a paid newsroom offers, at near-zero cost and often greater speed. This squeezes the Times' willingness-to-pay argument — readers need to perceive _distinct value_ if free, fast, eyewitness-driven coverage is everywhere.nnnnn- _Citizen journalism_ here means news reported directly by eyewitnesses and the public rather than professional journalists.n- The material cites the Hudson River US Airways crash as the canonical example of it outpacing newsrooms.n- In the Porter analysis, it is treated as a **substitute threat** to traditional publishers like the New York Times.n