Rush Limbaugh is the Patron Saint of Citizen Journalism

Rush Limbaugh is the Patron Saint of Citizen Journalism
By Dave Hinz - Publisher
2/1/2007

LOVE HIM OR HATE HIM, HE STARTED IT ALL!


Citizen Journalism, the participation of the average citizen in the gathering and reporting of the news, owes its Genesis to Rush Limbaugh. He, more than any other individual, revolutionized the news gathering process, providing a viable alternative to the filters of the Mainstream Media.

Before Rush Limbaugh hit the airwaves with his nationally syndicated radio program in 1988, there was no such thing as “participatory news.” It was, in fact, conventional wisdom that a program such as his could not succeed. He was going to talk about national politics? He was not going to interview guests? He was presenting a contrary view to the Mainstream Media? It would never work!

Some 20 million listeners later, it has been the success of Rush Limbaugh that has saved and transformed AM radio. He has created an entire genre known as Talk Radio. His success has spawned the careers of countless other radio personalities, from the Pit Bull Sean Hannity to the drug-burnt-out and former DJ, Don Imus. If Hannity takes Rush’s mandate to confront the MSM to the next level with his “final hour shootout,” Imus provides a counter balance, as his often incoherent ramblings seem to suck up to the same MSM that once prevented him a forum.
None of the above mentioned radio talk show hosts are trained journalists. They are, in fact, the vanguard of the Citizen Journalism Movement. Through their efforts, the public heard, for the first time, opinions contrary to the MSM. Hearing these opinions expressed openly on a national forum, countless listeners found themselves saying, “Yes! Yes! Someone is finally saying what I believe.”

It was this validation of the opinions held by millions of people, unreported anywhere else in the MSM, that has been the driving force behind the success of talk radio in general and Rush Limbaugh in particular.
This has also been, to a great extent the downfall of such liberal efforts as “Air America.” There is nothing new about Air America. Nothing to set them apart from the same messages echoed and re-echoed throughout the MSM, only said, in that forum, with such hatred and vitriol that even most liberals are offended.

As Rush Limbaugh transformed the airwaves, the 90s saw the emergence of the World Wide Web, better known as the Internet. Bulletin Boards provided, for the first time, a means for individuals to post their thoughts, not just nationally, but internationally. CompuServe brought internet users together into a “community.” America Online (AOL) saw the potential and took it to a new level with “chat rooms;” forums in which large numbers of people could interact and converse in “real time.” Most of these turned into dating forums, but some political debate happened in these rooms, as well.

Then, along came Matt Drudge. Drudge was the next innovation in Citizen Journalism. He used the internet to pass along information. His site, while simplicity in its concept, is nothing more than a conduit through which information flows. Through sources, anonymous tips and networking, Drudge has scooped the MSM on so many stories that he has become a pariah to them.

It was Drudge who first proved to the MSM the potential of the internet, both for its wide tentacles and the immediacy of the information flow. Commercial websites sprang up, sensing the potential. Like minded individuals formed communities to share and debate ideas. On the left, sites like Democrat Underground and DKos flourished. The right developed sites like RedState, The American Thinker and recently The Minority Report. These discussions circumvent the filters of the MSM, as both sides of the political spectrum believe those filters stymie the free flow of information.

These sites, and literally millions of smaller ones like them, proved the opportunity for average citizens to create Web Logs, or Blogs. These, blogs are often little more than online diaries, as people poured their thoughts out into the Ethernet. This has become ripe for Citizen Journalism to flourish.

Many Citizen Journalists comb the internet each day, discovering news topics to post and discuss. Often stories taken from the MSM are examined and dissected. Erroneous reports in the MSM have been exposed to these bloggers, doing the background digging the MSM has forgotten how to do.
Each step in this process has taken us closer to true Citizen Journalism, where the people bypass the MSM, going many times, directly to the news sources for their information.
There is no greater evidence to this phenomenon than the continued decline of newspaper readership, news magazine readership and network news viewership.

Today, with the fragmentation of the media through cable and satellite providers, as well as the internet, the influence of network news has waned. The influence of the internet, in fact, has been so recognized by the MSM, that not a single MSM outlet is without its own internet website.

The Irony of this has been, however, that the immediacy of the internet has led to ever declining viewership, as their viewers turn to their internet source to read about breaking news now, rather than wait until 6:00 or 11:00.

The next naturally progression in the evolution toward pure Citizen Journalism are sites like The Hinzsight Report. The immediacy of news feeds from all over the world is combined with Citizen Journalists reporting and commenting on that news. Exclusive content, as well, as Citizen Journalists taking to the field, interviewing and reporting on topics missed by the MSM. Add to this, the interactive nature, as readership is allowed to comment and discuss the topics of interest, and you have the logical progression of the field.

From Rush Limbaugh and talk radio, to The Hinzsight Report and Citizen Journalism, a natural evolution has taken place. As the internet changes the world, the Hinzsight Report will be there.