The Potential And Limitations Of Citizen Journalism Initiatives: Chhattisgarh’s CGNet Swara

Abstract

The challenges faced by rural communities in India in both access to mainstream media and coverage by it have major implications for democracy and civic participation. CGNet Swara, a citizen journalism initiative, attempts to address this problem by enabling rural or tribal communities to obtain and report news, and, to facilitate coverage of their concerns, by acting as “a bridge” between those communities and professional news outlets. Our research on the project’s relationship with mainstream news outlets in central India finds that while at least some professional journalists endorse the ideals of citizen journalism, they reject the idea that CGNet Swara can assist them. These findings lead us to re-evaluate the potential of citizen journalism as a transformative and democratizing force.