Alternative News Values in Community Citizen Journalism: The Case of PeoPo in Taiwan

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the news values of community citizen journalism and the behind journalistic identity. Drawing upon content analysis (N = 400) and semi-structured interviews (N = 12) with the reporters and in-house staff of a community citizen journalism platform, I argue that community citizen journalism follows alternative news values that deviate from the conventional norms and practices of mainstream media, prioritizing stories featuring ordinary people, a regional focus, and positive news. Given that community citizen journalists are most familiar with their surroundings, they can portray the reality of their community in a sensible, practical, and realistic way, using their words to serve the social empathy function and resonate with society. However, alternative news values can be seen as complementary to mainstream media rather than adversarial, providing a more comprehensive portrayal of reality. Theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.

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