Georgia and Russia are now on the brink of a full-fledged war, at the same time as the Beijing Olympic Games, leaving global media flustered as they are torn about where to focus coverage.
Of course, most journalists would prefer to cover the lively, cultural and celebratory events surrounding the Olympics in Beijing, but really ambitious journalists looking for breakthrough stories might be more inclined to take the risk and head to Georgia.
But why send anyone to either place?
Instead of sending journalists from leading newspapers and broadcast media stations into war torn places, more media outlets are relying on getting the inside scoop from the people that are already there.
Letting those in Georgia give the scoop not only saves the well-being and perhaps even the lives of journalists, but it offers citizen of Georgia a chance to be heard. News consumers are happy as a result as well because they know the information hasn't been skewed by the media outlets.
Citizen journalism has become increasingly popular, but some of the bigger, more influential media outlets are still apprehensive to make use information the public is willing to share.
Slowly, however, we are beginning to see changes...
The first six photos are from the New York Times who published a story covered by three journalists on location, and written by one writer.
The last four images are from Flickr user Theatrum Belli.
What's interesting is that the New York Times used an image (the fifth one in the gallery) from Flickr user Teo Kokhodze, it's the last one in the gallery. Either this is a staff photographer, or the NY Times has caught on to the powerful journalistic possibilities of Flickr.
Some citizen news sites covering Georgia include DigitalJournal.com and even more comprehensive, NowPublic.com and GroundReport.
Though no one can say for certain, making use of the people already there has a good chance of being the mode of news delivery in the future.
China and Georgia Citizen News Coverage
Letting the People Report
Trend Themes
1. Citizen Journalism - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Developing platforms or technologies that facilitate citizen participation in news reporting and eliminate the need for traditional journalists in dangerous locations.
2. Media Outlet Transformation - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Creating new media outlets or transforming existing ones to embrace and utilize citizen journalism as a primary source of news coverage.
3. Collaborative Journalism - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Establishing partnerships and collaborations between traditional media outlets and citizen journalists to create more comprehensive and reliable news coverage.
Industry Implications
1. Media and Publishing - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Rethinking the structure and practices of media and publishing companies to adapt to the rise of citizen journalism and incorporate it into their business models.
2. Technology - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Developing technological solutions, such as mobile apps or online platforms, that empower individuals to contribute to news reporting and democratize access to information.
3. Journalism Education - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Revolutionizing journalism education to equip aspiring journalists with the skills and knowledge needed to collaborate with citizen journalists and navigate the changing landscape of news reporting.