Citizen Journalism

 

"Every citizen is a reporter." 

This is a quote by OhMyNews creator, Oh. The term "citizen journalism" and the practice began in South Korea with the creation of .OhMyNews Oh and three other colleagues said they were tired of traditional South Korean press, so they started this website. The idea behind this site was that anyone can participate in the finding and creation of news. 

Citizen Journalism, according to EBSCO, is "the practice of reporting news events by individuals who do not have formal journalism training, often utilizing the internet and social media platforms to share information...Citizen journalists are typically ordinary people who report on significant events, including disasters and political crises, using smartphones and social media to disseminate real-time updates and footage." 

What are the pros and cons?

Some pros of citizen journalism include: allowing citizens to participate in gathering news, allowing for blogging and social media platforms, it can fill the gaps that traditional media might miss, and it can provide real-time coverage of events. Some cons of citizen journalism include: citizens lack professional training, there is potential for misinformation due to fact-checking and citizens' susceptibility to rumors, citizen credibility issues can lead to decreased accountability, and their limited resources mean citizens are underpaid/not paid at all. 

How does it impact society? 

Citizen journalism impacts society by increasing freedom of expression by giving the people a voice, allows the people to hold the government accountable, and provides alternate perspectives that you might not typically hear from professional journalists. Citizen journalism situates the individual within history as it happens. Typically we think of history as fact and something that happened long, long ago in a far away land. Citizen journalism allows citizens to promote and share history as it happens. It gives a voice to the people who would not typically be included in society. It lets minorities speak for themselves and brings a balance between them and the majority. Usually you have to wait for the news crews to arrive and set up before they start recording. Now, citizens can pull out their phones and record immediately or stream the event to the whole world. 

How does citizen journalism affect US?

Citizen journalism impacts me because it allows me to feel connected to current events. I don't watch news or typically have super strong opinions on the news, so it can be hard to feel a certain type of way about what's being presented when it is shown by traditional/professional journalists. However, when I come across TikTok and YouTube videos of people's reaction to news or videos of people actually being a part of whatever is happening, I feel much more connected to the situation. What I mean to say, is it can be hard to gauge emotions off a reporter who is trained to be emotionless, but citizens have real, raw reactions to news that you can clearly see in the videos they post. 

Citizen journalism allows people of my generation to be apart of big events in history. It gives us a voice when the older generations fail to listen. It allows us to connect to one another through shared interest and experiences. 

AI in Video Game Design

How will AI affect Game Design? Is your career at risk? Will AI take your job? 

This is a question I have been asked many times. My answer is this: AI already exists to an extent in game design. AI can be programmed into NPC enemies which allows the NPC's to think for itself to a certain extent. It is also used in pathfinding and navigation. This allows NPC’s to move through the world while avoiding obstacles and finding the optimal path to the target. While there are bad uses of AI such as using AI for art and taking credit, or using AI to program your game for you, AI has many beneficial uses in game design. 

According to Capitol Technology University, AI can be used to enhance NPC behavior. Typically, NPC's have set line  responses to characters. With AI, NPC's could have different dialogue every time you talk to them, and they might even be able to remember past conversations with players. AI can also be used to quickly generate concept art, create detailed 3D models, and it can even be used as a replacement for real people voice actors. 

In the end, I do not think my career is at risk. There is nothing that AI can do that people cannot do better. It has been an important part of game design already, and we will just come up with new ways to use AI. From a design standpoint, it can be very helpful for artists who need to workshop ideas. Ultimately, I am excited to see new uses of AI in game design. 

Privacy in a Digital Age

 

Technology is such a big part of our day-to-day life. Because we use it for everything, companies are less willing to act when harassment happens online. We need to be mindful of what we out on the internet because it will leave a digital footprint. Everything you say can and will be used against you. 

Juan Enriquez uses the term "electronic tattoos" to describe the information that we put out on the internet. Tattoos tell stories about people. They give others information about what you like and who you are. Electronic tattoos do the same. Technology is so advanced now that you can take a picture, run it through facial recognition, and it will tell you everything about that person. He references Greek myths like Sisyphus, Orpheus, Atalanta, and Narcisa. Each one comes with a warning: your reputation will reach highs and lows, so be careful what you post. Don't look to far into the past of those you love. Be careful about the things you comment on. Don't fall in love with your own reflection. 

Did you know that law enforcement tracks you and keeps a record of all your data? Catherine Crump warns people that automatic license plate readers capture images of your license plate and keep the of every plate that passes them. The photos are not just of the plate, but of the driver and any passengers as well. The government should not be allowed to keep data on people who have done nothing wrong. 

"Digital domestic violence" is what Darieth Chisolm uses to describe what the media calls "revenge porn." She experienced explicit photos of herself being published on a website by her ex-boyfriend without her consent. According to Congress, the TAKE IT DOWN Act was passed on April 28, 2025. This act "criminalizes the nonconsensual publication of private images...and requires certain websites and online or mobile applications to implement a "notice-and-removal" process to remove such images at the depicted individual's request." Despite this, there are few laws and protections against revenge porn. "How would you feel if your naked body was on display for the world to see, and you waited helplessly for the content to be removed?" Chisolm asks. We need tough enforcement from companies to prevent this from happening. There needs to be harsh consequences for people who post things like this online. 

A check on governmental power stands out to me because it is important that the government be regulated and the people's voices heard. I often forget that we have a right to speak out against the government because the government censors everything now. If the people did not hold the government accountable, then the government could and would do anything they want. When enough people speak out against the government, the government has to listen or take action. The Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches all work like a triangle where each has power over the other, but none have too much power. The system of checks and balances makes sure that no one branch has too much power. As it stands, it is a good system, but as the government tries to silence the people, more and more people speak up. 

My Top Five Sources of News

My biggest source of news is Instagram. It is how I connect to others and stay up to date on what my friends and people I follow are doing. I do not typically pay attention to traditional news, so I do not follow accounts like the president or news companies. I am more interested in video game updates, convention locations, and voice actors/celebrities. However, sometimes I see posts about elections, protests, and other big events. 

My second biggest source of news is TikTok. With TikTok and Instagram, I take everything I see there with a grain of salt. Both sites use heavy editing and track your interests through their algorithm, so it is easy to only see media that you are interested in. It can be hard to get other people's perspectives on issues. Like Instagram, I use TikTok for video game updates, conventions, and keeping up with celebrities, so I rarely see any big news. 

I use HoyoLab the most when I am looking for game updates. This is the hub for all HoYoverse games such as Genshin Impact, Honkai Star Rail, and Zenless Zone Zero. They have the latest version information, and upcoming game events. Sometimes they also have web events where you can earn rewards to redeem in-game. You can connect with other players through this app. Players can make posts about whatever content they like as long as it follows community guidelines. 

I use Discord for video games as well. I am in groups for multiple different games. In these groups. the developers can personally send out information about the games or even hold video chats. This can be a good source of information since info can come straight from the developers. If I am not in an official game group, I can still get game information from other people in the community. 

Since I do not use any news apps, I would say YouTube is my last source of news. I watch videos about...video games! Who would have guessed?? Like I have said about the other apps, I get updates and more information about upcoming games and updates through YouTube. Sometimes I also watch streamers and video game events like the Game Awards. I hear about news happening outside like elections from adds since I do not pay for YouTube premium.