Abstract:
The objective of this research is to analyze characteristics of citizen journalism as appeared in the OKNation website (www.oknation.net). The main points of study are development, content creation process, management, format and content presentation, as well as cross-media content relationship between the website and other information media (both newspaper and Internet) of the Nation Multimedia Group. The research uses both qualitative approach by in-depth interviews and quantitative approach by content analysis of sampled blogs and opinion forums attached to the blog space. The research finds that the OKNation website fits the profile of citizen journalism whereby the members participate in creation and management of content that can be independently published on personal blogs. Bloggers who are members on the website also participate in the expression of opinions, filtering and editing of content, verification, and reporting of news for further evaluation by blog audience. The website content is also unique in many aspects including diversity and flexibility in form and content, grassroots reporting, broadcasting, as well as an existence of on-line community that promotes citizen journalism process. However, the research also finds that the content published on the OKNation website are mostly issues that reflect personal interest of each individual blogger and issues that have been published in mainstream media. Furthermore, the study also finds that most of the information published in the sampled blogs lack proper reference, and reflect subjectivity from the bloggers personal opinions, as well as one-sided narration. Meanwhile, opinion forum on the blogs are found to function as space for interaction between website members, rather than forum of rational debate. Never do these forums of opinion exchange amount to common conclusion to mobilize for further movements on public issues. In this regard, the website does not fulfill a role as public sphere. In addition, the research also finds that the OKNation website has its content integrated with information media within the National Multimedia group by functioning as an additional channel of communication to the public as well as information resource for other media in the organization.