Much more than amplify the extent of opinions for any common citizen, citizen journalism has also been featuring for contribute to virtual public space.
Since a long time ago, internet is not only a mere pastime, from the moment that many people consume, create, share and recreate contents online; it is also a public space. As in a real public space, citizens have used the internet to discuss, to comment about products and services or about global facts, whatever! And with journalism is not different.
Never before the citizens had an evident opportunity to be in contact with editorial teams and journalists, and in the same way, to answer, to contest or interact in real time. Global facts can be known through some clicks, as facts that maybe would never have any repercussion can be spread worldwide.
Actually, it’s not clear the frontier between the real public space and the virtual public space. Both are complementary to each other, as the new web technologies have an instantaneous nature of use. But we can’t doubt about the impact that’s possible to cause when many citizens unite using social media and mobile platforms to share and air ideas, as we could see during the Arab Spring in Middle East, for example.
It’s evident that we are facing a new milestone on media history, due to the fact that the new digital tools put common citizens in contact with a wide range of information, as the possibility to discuss about relevant topics in a faster velocity never seen before.
