Scholar Journal of Applied Sciences and Research
Volume 1: 2
Sch J Appl Sci Res 2018
The Role of Citizen Journalism in Addressing Human Rights Issues through Web-
sites and E-Newspapers in Jordan
Article Information
Hanan Kamel Ismail
1
Hani A F Albadri
1
Layla Ahmad Jarrar
1
Ezzat M Hijab
1
*
1
Middle East University, Jordan
Article Type: Research
Article Number: SJASR117
Received Date: 24 April, 2018
Accepted Date: 16 May, 2018
Published Date: 25 May, 2018
*Corresponding author: Dr. Ezzat M Hijab, Faculty
of Media, Middle East University, Jordan. Tel: +962-
799099076; Email: hijab1952@yahoo.com
Citation: Ismail HK, Albadri HAF, Jarrar LA, Hijab EM
(2018) The Role of Citizen Journalism in Addressing Human
Rights Issues through Websites and E-Newspapers in Jordan.
Sch J Appl Sci Res. Vol: 1, Issu: 2 (35-46).
Copyright: © 2018 Ismail HK, et al. This is an open-access
article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use,
distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the
original author and source are credited.
Abstract
This study aims to examine the role of Citizen Journalism in addressing
human rights issues; where ordinary citizen can participate in collecting,
publishing and analysing news, a function previously reserved for major
media organizations. This is a descriptive study, based on content
analysis of a sample of press article represented the website of Jordanian
Ammon Net, and two electronic newspapers, “El youm7th” newspaper
from Egypt and Deutsche Welle from Germany. Source, subject and
trends during the period from first of July until 30th of September 2017
were analysed. The results of the study indicate a clear increase interest
in Citizen Journalism; also, there was a divergence of views among the
study’s sample on the subject of freedom of opinion and expression. The
study sample differed in its approach to cover human rights issues, but
agreed on the importance of the Citizen Journalism in collecting and
disseminating information to the public, making this type of media a
powerful tool contributing to change.
Keywords: Citizen journalism, Human rights, Websites, E-Newspapers.
Introduction
This study is exploring the role of Citizen Journalism in covering
human rights issues. This role is one of the aspects introduced by the
modern technology revolution. The Internet has contributed to changing
the concept of the traditional media; with the internet, people receive
the news at the time of its occurrence. Over the internet we upload
pictures, videos and other interactive features. All of this is in line with
the emergence of new generations who are practicing all their activities
through the Internet, which has attracted many segments of society.
The participation of citizens in media, gives us what we called “Citizen
Journalism”. In other words, the Citizen Journalism is “the recipient when
he becomes a sender”. The Citizen Journalism has greatly influenced over
the past years in formation public opinion and the formation of people
attitudes. The eyewitnesses see the accidents; and they can transfer
the events at the same time it is occur. They are sending a report and
photos to the media. The eyewitnesses can be a journalist in the unlike
way of journalists in the mainstream media, Citizen Journalism can be
anonymous contributors without any training on the press.
According to the history of electronic journalism, the first newspaper
in the United States launched an electronic version was the “Chicago
Tribune” in 1992. This electronic newspaper spread through “Chicago
Online”. News sites and e-newspapers appeared on the Internet, both for
newspapers and television channels or for independent news websites,