CITIZEN JOURNALISM VS PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISM: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

This study titled “citizen journalism vs professional journalism: A comparative analysis examines the different features, strengths, weaknesses, and the whole impact of citizen and professional journalism in today’s growing media environment. The main purpose of the study was to compare citizen journalism and professional journalism I terms of their credibility, accuracy, trust, characteristics, and influence on public trust and perception, as well as to solve how technological advancements have shaped their operations. The study took in a survey research design, and data were collected through the use of a structured questionnaire which brought out 279 respondents from the Department of Mass Communication, University of Benin. The data collected were carefully analyzed using simple percentages and frequency tables. Findings showed that while citizen journalism improves immediacy, participation and inclusivity in news sharing. It sometimes lacks accountability and professional training and editorial oversight. In opposite view, professional journalism is guided by ethical standards, accountability, and fact checking making it more trustworthy among audiences. The study also discovered that technological advancements have greatly impacted both forms of journalism, narrowing the gap between them and enabling citizens to actively engage in the news process. It is recommended that citizen journalists be encouraged to get basic training in ethical training in ethical reporting and fact checking, while professional journalists should always continue to adapt to digital trends to secure relevance in the modern media landscape.