Mediatised Participation: Citizen Journalism and the Decline in User-Generated Content in Online News Media

This study critically analyses the evolution and decline of citizen journalism and user-generated content (UGC) in online news media. Based on a systematic literature review of 125 high-impact studies (2000–2022), the authors explore how media, journalists, and audiences have renegotiated participatory roles. Findings reveal a significant decrease in audience interest in producing journalistic content, as well as increasing hostility and dysfunction in interactive spaces. Journalists tend to protect their professional identity and editorial control, while media companies focus on monetizing engagement rather than fostering deliberation. Consequently, participation is now mediated primarily through social media platforms, where users act more as distributors than co-creators. The article introduces the concept of "mediatised participation" to describe this shift and evaluates citizen journalism as a failed innovation in traditional newsrooms. The authors call for renewed collaboration strategies to ensure audience agency without compromising journalistic integrity.