Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Introduction

Hello to all and welcome to my blog! My name is Caitlin Duffy and I'm a fourth year Communications Studies major at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. As a senior Communications major you are required to take two seminars which are smaller classes dedicated to specialized topics and themes regarding the dynamics and influences of communication systems and the media.

A Glimpse Into Citizen Media is a blog dedicated to a seminar class I'm currently taking this term called Citizen Media & the Public Sphere. This seminar examines citizen media and new media and the degree of influence it has on our social capabilities and the way we operate, disseminate and consume information and relate to one another in our everyday lives.

As a part of my introduction post I think it is important to conceptualize what citizen media means for those who don't know. Citizen media refers to forms of media produced by private citizens, like you and me, who are not considered professional journalists. Forms of citizen-produced media include blogs, podcasts, vlogs, digital storytelling, community radio and more, and may be distributed via television, radio, internet, email, movie and many other forms.

This blog will provide further insight to citizen media and new media and their social effects. All of my posts will be influenced by various course materials, workshops and discussions as well as my own personal experiences and opinions. I hope you enjoy coming to my citizen media space and I look forward to posting over the next couple of months as well as hearing from you :)

- Caitlin