The idea of “citizen journalism” is something I’ve never been completely sold on.
I frequently reflect on a debate from one of my college journalism ethics classes as to whether people documenting an event online should really be considered “journalists.”
I didn’t – and still don’t – think I’d been designated as this elite storyteller for society but if journalism didn’t require some kind of training, why exactly was I in that class anyways?
I certainly see the value of the online platforms and the ability they give all kinds of people to share information. They provide access to knowledge we wouldn’t have otherwise and give us insight into others’ perspectives.
Still, since I am a journalist, after all, I’m quick to fact check any “news” online against posts from a reporter clearly working with an established news outlet.
There’s a hierarchy in my head that deems facts from official, trained reporters as the most reliable ones.
While I think this holds up, I’ve also found myself inspired and impressed by the storytelling ability of one specific “citizen journalist.”
Last year, I listened to a true crime podcast called “Your Own Backyard” which details the disappearance of Kristin Smart.
It’s a very compelling story about a Cal Poly student who went missing in 1996. Although it’s been relatively clear from the jump who the culprit was, police never had enough evidence to make an arrest.
The podcast is produced by a man named Chris Lambert, who grew up in the area where the crime took place.
He had no formal news training, but quit his job as a sound engineer to research the case because he was so intrigued by it. I think he would be much quicker to refer to himself as a guy obsessed with one crime than he would say he was a journalist of any kind.
Regardless, as I listened, I became totally enthralled by the story he told and the way he told it.
His ability to find sources, conduct interviews and gather facts is pretty stellar.
He revisited police leads, theories from people who followed the case and even things that have been overlooked for decades.
Most importantly, he took what he wanted to know about the case and used those questions to inform the story he shared with listeners.
Lambert never tells the listeners what conclusions they should draw, but gives them so many facts that it’s almost impossible not to end up in the same place.
In fact, the case laid out in the podcast was so powerful that the suspects were arrested last week after 25 years.
While announcing the arrests, the local sheriff specifically credited Lambert’s work in bringing forward new witnesses and evidence crucial to cracking the case.
So, sure, he isn’t a “real” reporter.
But I feel like I became a better reporter by listening to his work.
With nearly any information available at our fingertips, journalism strives to be many things.
The field will continue to evolve and the gatekeepers of stories will come from even more, new places.
No matter who’s telling the story, though, Lambert reminded me of the one thing we didn’t debate in journalism school – the power of seeking and sharing the truth.
-Kayleen Petrovia is a reporter for the Journal-Tribune.