Citizen Journalism Leads to Job Losses at CNN

Now we have a direct cause/effect in the laying off of qualified journalists:

CNN just cut 50 journalist jobs--most of them photojournalists--because unpaid "citizen journalists" are contributing so much video that the professionals are no longer needed.

Here's what CNN says:

"We ... spent a great deal of time analyzing how we utilize and deploy photojournalists across all of our locations in the U.S. ... We looked at the impact of user-generated content and social media, CNN iReporters and of course our affiliate contributions in breaking news. Consumer and pro-sumer technologies are simpler and more accessible. Small cameras are now high broadcast quality. More of this technology is in the hands of more people. After completing this analysis, CNN determined that some photojournalists will be departing the company."

What that is coming to mean is that every time you send a photo or a video to a news organization you are contributing to a decline in employment at that organization. And it is especially true with local news organizations where there are fewer jobs, no unions and much more of a willingness to cheap out on coverage.


(Photo: citizenjournal.com)