Mass Amateurization: Chris Zranchev

        In this day and age, anyone has the power to be a journalist thanks to technological advances. Clay Shirky describes mass amateurization as the idea that new forms of media, especially the Internet, are changing the world of journalism. Ordinary people, not in the professional field of media, are now competing with those who are media makers on a professional level. Through the Internet and social media, blogging and photo sharing have become much more prominent, creating a mass amateurization in the field of journalism.

        Twitter has impacted the way people receive their news today. With the trends and hashtags feature, people have the ability to share news with one another with a click of a button. Citizen journalism has grown tremendously, and news spreads a lot faster via social media than news channels and newspapers. Ordinary people are breaking news, being first hand witnesses to events that professional journalists are not present at.

        Shirky creates two different categories for media users. There are those publishing information on a professional level and those who publish just to publish, not seeking any sort of reward or income. Shirky believes that media professionals need to take into consideration the effects mass amateurization has on the media industry. He warns his readers that mass amateurization will cause a lot of conflict and controversy, especially to those trying to make a career out of journalism.

        Those who are active on Twitter have the ability to bring about the awareness of news that has not yet been broadcasted on professional news platforms. This gives power to the public, allowing information to go viral within minutes.  “Most of what gets created on any given day is just ordinary stuff of life but now it’s done in the same medium as professionally produced material.” (86)

        Since it is so easy now to publish things, the ability to filter this information has dwindled. Shirky brings about this idea of publishing then filtering and how it has raised the question as to whether or not the information being put out there is accurate. He states that “The internet means you don’t have to convince anyone else that something is a good idea before trying it. An individual with a camera or a keyboard is now a non-profit one, and self-publishing is now the normal case.” (78) Shirky believes that mass amateurization with be the downfall to the professional aspect of journalism. “For a generation that is growing up without the scarcity that made publishing such a serious-minded pursuit, the written word has no special value in and of itself (79). Shirky, unlike Jenkins, shines more of a negative light on mass amateurization.

        Jenkins focuses on the idea of fan fiction in Why Heather Can Write, shining a much more positive light on the idea of mass amateurization. He talks about how fan fiction is giving more creative freedom to upcoming writers, opening new doors and room for them to express themselves. Through the power of the Internet, creative writers are able to put their work out there in hopes of getting recognized. “ Literacy is understood to include not simply what we can do with printed matter but also what we can do with media.”(Jenkins, 176) As a photojournalist myself, I have also realized how big of an impact the Internet and social media have effected my future careers as a journalist. Instagram has become part of my daily life. I share my photos to help further my career, interacting with professionals who are also active on Instagram as well. Instagram has opened new doors for me, giving me the opportunity to work with people I have never dreamt of even working with.

        Both of these readings both acknowledge the growth of amateurization. However Shirky sees the glass as half empty and Jenkins sees it as half full. Shirky believes that thanks to mass amateurization, professionals in the media field will cease to exist. Jenkins on the other hand, looks at this mass amateurization as a gateway to new opportunities as long as you use it properly. They both shed light on the facts, but it is up to us as young media makers to follow either Shirky or Jenkins. We will either fall or strive thanks to mass amateurization, it’s really all up to us and how we go about this change.

Works Cited
Jenkins, Henry. Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: New York UP, 2006. Print.

Shirky, Clay. Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations. New York: Penguin, 2008. Print.