Having a camera and a mic doesn’t make you a journalist

As self-styled journalists trade ethics for engagement, the line between reporting and intimidation is blurring.

The way we practise journalism has changed over time with technological advances. Today’s journalists are expected not only to handle a camera and microphone but also to be multimedia-savvy and to develop digital storytelling skills. However, not everyone with a camera and a mic practises journalism ethically. Some self-styled journalists film solely for views on social media such as Facebook and YouTube. In doing so, they trade journalism’s ethics, standards and accountability for performance. Social media has indeed opened ways for its users to quickly receive information and news that would have otherwise remained hidden, but removing the barrier to publishing information doesn’t eliminate the need for journalistic ethics.