According to Wikepedia, crowdsourcing is “a neologism for the act of taking tasks traditionally performed by an employee or contractor, and outsourcing it to an undefined, generally large group of people or community in the form of an open call.”
For an ordinary reader, this may not seem like anything bad. But to a journalist whose career and livelihood revolve around the news and gathering information this can pose as a huge threat.
Outsourcing is a controversy that may never be solved. Yes, it is cheaper for the company and production value but many people claim it is taking away their jobs. The same could apply for crowdsourcing. It may be taking away the integrity of a journalist.
All in all, I feel that too much havoc is being created because of online blogging and outside sources. If readers want accurate information they should know to go to credible news sources. If they want opinions and subjective information, then websites and blogs are for them.
Would have preferred a direct reference to the article handout on crowdsourcing. Remember, crowdsourcing and blogs are not designed to replace good old fashioned reporting. They are tools to help you do your job better. If you think about it, look at were stories come from: public officials, government agencies, PR companies and regular folks who live in the neighborhood who have stories to tell. The future of journalism is relying on us to keep our end of the bargain by reporting, verifying and fact checking, but opening the doors to voices to enrich our stories and make them more relevant.