Rise of citizen journalism: content analysis on Turkish Twittersphere

Abstract

With the advancement of technology, increasing use of social media, and declining trust in mainstream media, which is dominated by moguls, as well as the Covid 19 pandemic outbreak which has taken hold of the world, various journalism practices have undergone some changes. In this process, ordinary citizens have sought alternatives; the citizen journalism concept in digital media platforms has emerged and started to be used progressively. This thesis focuses on the Turkish Twittersphere and delves into the influences of citizen journalism, which has eventually led to mainstream media outlets’ presence on the Twittersphere. Ordinary citizens engage in plentiful debates and discussions by contributing to overall interaction, whether active or passive. In that context, mixed content analysis is employed by retrieving data in four up-to-date categories, namely health, climate, economy, and Europeanization. Coding data according to engagement rate and several other categories, the findings of this study reveal that citizen journalism is on the up and has gained the trust of other users in the Turkish Twittersphere compared to prominent traditional media outlets. Thus, in addition to highlighting why citizen journalism has emerged and gained prominence to such a degree, this thesis also demonstrates the declining credibility of mainstream media and its reflections.