Evaluating the Role and Impact of Citizen Journalism in Crisis Management: Insights from Journalists in Gurugram

Effective communication is crucial for the planning, reaction, and recuperation afteremergencies. The growing utilization of social media platforms like Facebook,WhatsApp, and Twitter for crisis management underscores their significance andcapacities in spreading reliable information and bolstering community resilience. Thisstudy investigates the influence of citizen journalism on crisis communication byanalyzing survey data obtained from 50 journalists with different degrees of expertise.The analysis demonstrates that social media plays a role in delivering timely informationduring crises, but it also gives rise to notable ethical problems surrounding privacy andthe potential dissemination of false or misleading information. Moreover, the researchsuggests that citizen journalism frequently outpaces conventional media in breakingnews, making a significant contribution to crisis response. Nevertheless, it can alsoresult in erroneous identification and inflict injury as a result of the absence of expertsupervision and adherence to ethical principles. Ultimately, the study emphasizes theimportance of more explicit rules and more public awareness in order to reduce therisks related with the utilization of social media during times of crisis.