41. Citizen Journalism in the Digital Age: Indian Perspective

India is believed to be a media-rich poor country. Here, the basic infrastructure required to practise citizen journalism—electricity, computers, smartphones, internet services—is available for a small segment of the population. However, several indications suggest that citizen journalism is beginning to take root in the country and realise its potential. The rise of citizen journalism in India is linked to the notion of active citizenship and the need to strengthen democratic governance. In fact, citizen journalism derives its legitimacy from Article 19(i)(a) of the Indian Constitution, that guarantees freedom of expression for every citizen, which includes right to publish news and comment on public affairs, and right to receive information. Mahatma Gandhi writes in Young India that democracy is an impossible thing until the power is shared by all. In today’s context, information is the biggest tool, while the means to share it is the biggest power. The roots of citizen journalism lie in the self-printed pamphlets that used to be distributed on the streetside. Citizen journalism has come a long way since then. Today citizen journalism is not just practised by amateurs, but by professional news outlets as well that provide a platform to ordinary people so as to help them share their issues. The current chapter discusses how citizen journalism has evolved over the years in India and what are going to be the future perspectives.