IFRA

The saying goes, "You get what you pay for." Hence the latest debate in the realm of citizen journalism is whether commercial publishing companies should pay for content they use from volunteer reporters.

Proponents of compensating citizen journalists argue that it is only fair, that it can be non-monetary, but that it will pay in the long run by encouraging the best public contributors to increase the quantity and quality of their submissions. Opponents say payment, particularly in money, creates the wrong motivation for what citizen journalists are doing and risks turning everyone with a camera phone into paparazzi out to get a shot they can sell.

"This is a dodgy area," said Joe Breen, managing editor for production, presentation and design at the Irish Times, Dublin, Ireland. "I think if you ask/commission somebody to do something, then they do deserve to be paid. On the other hand if they just submit something such as text or an image and it is used, then it is the newspaper/website that is doing the citizen journalist a favour by providing a platform for his/her comments.

"Payment is a dangerous road to go down. Where does it stop? Should reporters pay an expert whom they quote at length? Should a reporter be expected to pay a witness to a story? Should people who contribute reactions to stories online or in letters to the editor be paid? I think not." (Full interview: here)

Brock of The Times put it more simply: "Payment entirely depends on the value of the material; nothing new there. They're entitled to ask; we're entitled to accept or decline."

Horrocks of the Manchester Evening News put it more succinctly: "NO."

Whether or not publishers want to pay citizen journalists for content, they might not have a choice if those volunteer reporters decide to get themselves an agent to negotiate price before turning over the goods, particular when it comes to the traditionally hot commodity of news – the exclusive photo.

At least three companies have started up in recent months specifically around that business model. Spy Media (www.spymedia.com), started by Tom Quinn, former president of Novell, Scoopt (www.scoopt.com), and Cell Journalist (www.celljournalist.com) all offer to connect citizen journalists holding hot pictures with news media willing to pay for those pictures.

So much for citizen journalism being an alternative to commercially minded MSM.