This is for all those who find the endless demands from network news and current affairs shows for viewers to become unpaid freelancers - "if you see news happening, send us your photos and video so we can sell it to Reuters!" - particularly annoying and ethically irritating, UK e-mail news sheet, PopBitch, heralds the arrival of a new artform that should send shivers down the spines of news executives and editors :
The current trend in news journalism is toHoaxing the news networks via 'citizen journalism' is likely to prove extremely popular, being a solid challenge to the millions of PhotoShop and CGI addicts, and one where the hoaxer can easily show off what he or she has done for quick kudos. BoingBoing and Digg will love it. Your local online city newspaper? Not so much.
let the viewers do the work. But the rise of
photos and videos from amateur mobile phone
cameramen is not without peril, thank God.
One 24 hour news network didn't spot that
someone was sending them in photos of the
London Olympic torch procession and photo-
shopping images of Maddie McCann into the
crowd. Oops.
