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Citizen journalism is a term you often meet when reading blogs, and especially when reading blogs about blogs (like this one). So what exactly is the role of citizen journalists? The answer is that the roles are many and it is ultimately up to the individual person to define their own role(s).

In the ongoing presidential primary elections it seems that more people, than in earlier years, especially students, are letting their voices be heard. It is becoming increasingly easy for anyone with a computer and an internet connection to express how they feel about a given issue. So the question is not so much “Should I give voice to my beliefs?”, but rather “How do I best give voice to my beliefs?”. The internet and new media have gradually legitimized the participation of non-experts in political agendas. The people are really letting their voices be heard. If you think there is a void and you have what it takes to fill it out, you are almost obligated to do so. The skeptic would argue that it has become difficult to distinguish solid journalism from unfounded arguments made by the guy next door. I would argue that it is not difficult at all.

Everything depends on where you get your information from and how critical you are. Since most people still do get their news from established news organizations they are not in any immediate danger of being misled. And most citizen journalism actually does the opposite…Offers a new perspective on things or informs people about issues that have been ignored or filtered out by mainstream media. And as with any information, you should never believe everything you read.

It is this blogger’s firm conviction that it, in reality, is quite easy for the modern citizen, equipped with a good sense of judgment, to distinguish facts from fiction. And with the possibilities of the internet we even have the possibility of researching the facts for ourselves. When it comes down to it what online journalism is offering, right now, is a supplement to the old media landscape more than an actual change of the old media.

One example of an organization giving people the opportunity to get more into the detail, and to express themselves, is "Scoop 08". It is an initiative for and by students nationwide who are interested in the ongoing primaries. On their website "Scoop 08" offers information about the politics of the different parties and candidates. And not just the leading ones…Scoop 08 prides itself on trying to cover the election from as many angles as possible, whereas the two main parties pretty much are all you hear about on tv. And the best part about it is that if you disagree and think that their coverage is not as it should be, you are welcome to join their team and help diversifying the debate.