Citizen Journalism Blog

Here is an interesting article citizen journalists may want to read. But don’t get your hopes high on making money with your videos.

It is taken from Malaysian Insider :

News channels like Al Jazeera, CNN and BBC are always looking for contributors from around the world and they pay fairly well too. There are also other television channels from different countries that are willing to buy stories from specific parts of the world. For example, I also contribute to several European channels that focus on Asian content. Then there are local channels too that are always on the lookout for stringers for their newsdesks.

Websites are another good source of revenue. Heard of Kevin Sites? He’s one of the first solo-journalists to be hired by a website (it was Yahoo! In case you’re wondering).

Lot’s of news sites are popping out internationally (such as VJMovement, Current TV, BeamUp, etc) and locally (The Malaysian Insider, Malaysiakini, The Malaysian Mirror, etc) that utilise multimedia to the max. Heck, if you’re really desperate, there are even websites that help you sell stock footage.

For me, I love the smug look I can afford to give people when I tell them, “Nay, I don’t get a salary nor am I paid for my videos. I do it because I believe in the issue.” That is priceless. No amount of money can get that kind of satisfaction.

Of course, if you are an expert and has played the field enough, you can be a stringer. Grab videos and sell it to our local TV stations. But then, your work will be greatly edited and what you video-ed may not appear at all.

So, it is back to ‘I don’t get paid for this.” Priceless.

I have been sitting at home, painting my nails, waiting for them to dry and taking long baths. Which actually caused my nail colours to peel and I have to start again. So, that’s what I basically do this past week.

No more CJ outings for me. No press conferences too because the CM was away in overseas. No video features. No interviews.

It has been a relaxing week and I am enjoying the slow phase. Though I have lots of idea to do lots of things, I just hate the idea of video editing. Video editing needs concentration and one video can take at least one hour even if it is just a simple press conference with no scene changes.

I think it is better that I do not do any videos rather than coming up with con jobs. What are con jobs? Filler videos that we do just to make up the numbers. Of course, I had my share of con jobs where I just put up something because they are there.

Now, I want to make sure that each video leaves some impressions, opinions or impact to the viewers. Otherwise, they are not worth my time.

So, tralalalalala…no CJ videos from me until something hot comes up.

Sigh….reality hits.

I am now doubting I can be a good ‘real’ reporter. I get bored easily. My face tend to show the WTF look when I hear craps. My body language tells.

I will snap shut my camera.

Yes, it is fun being citizen journalist but I doubt I can survive journalism in the real world.

*hangs head in shame*

I am going to rant on my citizen journalism activities. I don’t give a damn because it is better I rant than to back-stab, bad mouth, gossip, whine and then, pretend to put on a smiling face. My character is such. If I like you, you know it. If you pissed me, I will tell you off.

So, here goes…

ON TEAMWORK
I am a very efficient, fast worker and I cannot stand working working in groups where I need to wait for things. I also do not like to be like a bunch of school kids where we need a bunch giggly girls and boys to do something. I prefer to be a lone ranger. Or have only one reliable partner who gets what I am thinking of doing.

ON FILMING TECHNIQUE
I have a very hyperactive imagination and even as we are filming, I know what I am going to do with the story, what sort of scenes I want and what I am going to include in my editing. So, I can’t stand people who are so worked up over getting beautiful shots and such flowery stuffs. For me, it is just do the farking job of getting the news we want. We are not movie production who needs to produce fantastic, creative, artsy, fartsy stuffs.

ON WHO GETS THE ‘MEATY’ STORIES
It is my understanding that since I work the fastest and has most-est time, I take up most of the chores of editing. So, when people said, ‘when one or two get to edit’, I surely feel pissed because I felt like I am being accused of grabbing all the meaty parts. Doh…I don’t get paid for doing the chores. I am doing it to prove that our GROUP (not me, myself, I, darn it!) is productive.

ON COMMITMENT
I asked one person to help with getting out more stories. He said he doesn’t have the clips. My other coursemate burned a CD for him. He forgot. And he went back to the excuse of ‘I don’t have the clips’. Where is the commitment?

ON WHAT GOES INTO OUR CAMERA
Still on the ‘I have no clips’, all three of us have the same amount of 8GB in our camera. We only need to produce mere minutes of video. Youtube only allows 10 minutes. The 8GB can takes at least 2 hours of filming. Yet, how the fark can one come up with the excuse that his camera recorded nothing worth making into a documentary? No even a single 2 minute video?

ON GETTING FEATURED
This is one I super pissed off. As far as I am concerned, I no longer care if my video contribution gets accepted. I have now matured to the level where I do something because I think it is worth sharing. But people still have ideas that unless your video is going to be featured, it is not worth his time. Doh…There are plenty of places to upload my videos and getting views.

ON GETTING CREDITS
I have been tripled pissed being featured in The Making because if any one of my friends or blog readers knew there are such videos around, they will think that I am seeking credits, glory and were doing all the video filming so that I can make my own show of ‘See what a big heart person I am, I work so hard’. Those videos featuring me going out on citizen journalism ventures left a bad taste in my mouth. It could possibly robbed off my real intention, i.e. to help people.

ON NOT CALLING THE WHOLE VILLAGE
So, yeah, I have quietly went off to some event without telling the others. I went to the candlelight vigil because I had been a hardcore vigiler and the last thing I need is to have a noobie cameraman with me. It is a potential risk and true indeed, the police did arrest someone.

And the conclusion I made is…..the day I began doing things on my own without feeling bad about not shouting to tell all my comrades or screaming for attention by making a video of myself doing the video, I know I have graduated as a citizen journalist. I don’t need my mommy’s boobies anymore. I can walk, I can talk and I can run already.

It is a Malay sayings. Literally translated, it means ‘Shrimp behind the rock’. It means if someone works very hard on the exterior, there is surely some hidden motives behind it.

Some of my faith mentors, i.e. those people whom I look up to for my faith guidance, often asked me to pray for discernment. At times, when I want to embark on something, I have to ask myself if I am doing it for the people or am I doing it for self-glory. When I was volunteering at Mt. Miriam, I struggled through the seven months asking the question over and over again. Every morning when I was there, I usually start my voluntary work with a morning reflection in the chapel.

Funnily enough, I never really know why I spent seven months, going there obediently three times a week, facing the most depressing situation. At the end of it, I still do not quite know except that no one is doing it, so I may as well take it up. The only rewards I get are the satisfaction that somehow, my path has crossed with the hard journey of others and I take comfort that I did leave something behind for them. It could just be a smile, a gentle touch or an understanding look.

And the weird thing is, I am doing citizen journalism with the same kind of ‘shrimp’. It is purely my enjoyment of doing something for nothing. No one is going to thank me. No one is paying me. Yet, I feel good that I was there to meet those people whom I have met. The ones on the street. Without my camera and my mission, I probably will never dare to find the courage to reach out to them. I probably will feel freaky touching kids covered with lesions and tiny bumps all over their bodies. I probably will not even think of hugging an old lady who is a beggar and an albino.

So, with creative minds and some good compatriots, let’s take this to the next level. Unless one knows what their shrimp is, one cannot get down to remove the rock. My shrimp is to do something for people. The people is my priority. People doesn’t mean only poor, helpless, homeless people but people who deserves justice.

You know you have written a bad piece of article when lay people like you and I cannot understand the message. Day in, day out, I get these sort of messages through the mainstream media. Their title says one thing, their contents said another. After I finished reading, I ended up more confused than when I haven’t done so.

As a blogger, I do tend to ramble off topic but then, I am but a blogger writing personal blog. But when I am touching on something more serious, I do keep in mind to get my blog title, opening para and the closing para in the same tune. Otherwise, it is one mind boggling read. Or should I use my normal obnoxious language, ‘it is mindfucking confusing’.

So, we have a minister with one very long title and portfolios that are equally rojak. The Information, Com­munications, Culture and Arts Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim was quoted by The Star :

The Information, Com­munications, Culture and Arts Ministry will use a “diplomatic approach” in dealing with private media corporations and bloggers.

Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said the ministry preferred to take follow-up efforts than legal action against those who have violated the laws.

The para above sent me a message that he is going to be mild with us.

But before that, the title of the article said :

Rais warns of legal action against errant private groups and bloggers

See? Title is damn intimidating. But what the minister said was mild.

Then, to make it even more confusing :

He said they, however, have to act against the hardcore perpetrators.

“Those who have broken the laws have to face legal action. If we do not act on them, it is the fault of the administration.

“But I stress that using legal action will be our last resort,’’ he said.

Before I even finish half the article, I am already mindfucked. You want to sue or not to sue? Make up your mind already.

So, what exactly is the new minister with super long portfolio said? I don’t know. You tell me. To me, it is like saying, “Ahhh…..errmmmm…maybe….possibly….arrrr…errmmmhhh”. So, in conclusion, might as well don’t say anything because it has no substance at all.

One other thing – I wonder how culture and arts can mingle with information? They are two different worlds altogether. One is about technology, the other is about the ancient stuffs. Then again, the Min. of Information has always been the big boss of the main TV stations, making sure news are always biased to their bosses, and nothing more.

Few days ago, there was a buzz from PKR about some ‘kejutan besar’ or ‘major shocking’ news. The way they phrased it, it looked like something really big. They even have the cheek to tell journalists that by hook or by crook, they must be there to hear what will be revealed :

Bercakap dalam satu sidang media di Bilik Gerakan AMK,Sungai Lalang, Bukit Selambau tengahari tadi, beliau berkata perkara itu akan hanya diumumkan pada program ceramah esok yang akan dihadiri ketua umum KeADIlan, Anwar Ibrahim di Dewan Hock Seng, Sungai Lalang pada jam 9 malam.
“Anda (pemberita) boleh tidak hadir dari hari penamaan calon sehingga habis pilihanraya, tetapi jika anda ketinggalan pada program esok, anda pasti akan dimarahi oleh bos-bos anda,” katanya kepada pemberita.

(taken from Anil’s blog post because the original page from SuaraKeadilan shows a 404 error on Google search. It means the page is no longer there?)

If I am a full fledge journalist, I will probably smack them for misleading and playing the fool because what was revealed wasn’t earth shattering as the majority of people agree. Initially, my coursemates from the citizen journalism course wanted to make a trip to Bukit Selambau because we wanted to be there to see and hear the ‘great revelation’ first hand, and who knows, maybe blogged about it ‘live’.

I guess PKR must have heard some buzz about Tun M doing the by-election campaign around the area and decided to show ‘my crowd is bigger than your crowd’ stunt. They had done this at the expenses of all the hopeful supporters, the working journalists and the dreamers of our country.

As for me, I am getting sick of the boy who cried wolf. We can only take so much.

THIS IS JUST A FAIRY TALE.

And I am not talking about the wife of a king. I want to be the queen who rules.

So, if I am queen, I will want to be a very good and fair queen.

I will not subject my poor citizens who probably earns enough to feed his wife and children to pay 10 thousand pounds just because the person is said to spit on me.

If I am a queen, I will be a brave queen. I will tell my meddling people to just buzz off. Bring me the person who spitted and let me hear why he does it.

I will not want to be the queen who sit on her throne and pretend she didn’t know or hear or read that 8 people have been put into the boiling silver cauldron to be boiled and used as specimens to scare off the rest of the monkeys in my queendom. Gee, does it sounds like condom?

If I am a queen, I will have that big and generous heart to forgive and to advise. If I do that, the monkeys will all pause to see and they will bow and kiss the grounds I walk on.

If I am a queen, I will instruct my meddling, bumbling palace hands to bring me all those who spitted and tell me what’s their problems. I will listen. Certainly, if so many are unhappy, they must have their reasons?

But I am not a queen of any queendom. I am only the queen of craps.

The candlelight vigils calling for the abolishment of ISA has fizzled out in Penang. I sort of miss the excitement of going to candlelight vigils, meeting new friends and getting together with people I already know.

Normally, I go alone and bring the camera along. There are lots of photographers there and I play ‘spot the SB’ photographers. Usually, it is easy to spot because they have that uninterested look on their faces as they are working and not passionate about what was being delivered by the speakers.

ISA candlelight vigils are also good opportunities for me to test out my photography skills because it is a challenge to take photos in the dark. Sometimes, I went with the wicked hope of seeing some dramas but thankfully, our Penang vigils have always been very peaceful with no interference from the police.

I have ISA t-shirt, ISA badges and ISA balloons too. My t-shirt is also personalised with my blog URL. I bet SB has taken some of my photos for their ‘library’ as well. Recently, during the Pakatan Rakyat event at Esplanade, one of them intentionally focused on me because I was holding a camera and pointing at him. I wore my personalised 5xmom t-shirt. So, let’s shoot each other, bang!

I wonder why the Mansuhkan ISA movement has died down?