PHNOM PENH— Around 80 citizen
journalists from around Cambodia held a meeting in Phnom Penh Wednesday,
in a first-ever networking event for a new kind of reporter in the
country.
Professional journalists and other media professionals joined the
event, sponsored by the Cambodian Center for Independent Media and the
Community Legal Education Center.
They shared their experiences with monks, students, rights activists
and even garment factory workers—all of whom hope to make up a loose
network of citizen journalists in their communities.
The citizen journalists have received training in news-writing and
reporting, as well as photography and videography, so that they can
report from their homes on happenings there.
“Apart from sharing their experiences with other citizen journalists,
we hope they can also build networks with professional journalists,”
said Kaing Tongngy, a spokesman for the Cambodian Center for Independent
Media. “Sometimes these citizens will give professional journalists
some clue when there is something happening in far community.”
Kit Meng, a 31-year-old garment worker, said likes work as a citizen
journalist, filing stories about the country’s garment industry. She
shares her work on social media, including text, photos and video. “I’m
happy and will continue this citizen journalist work, because I can
share anything I want about garment workers,” she said.
In Cambodia, the number of professional journalists is limited,
making citizen journalism more important, said Kem Ley, an independent
analyst.
“Because they are everywhere, they can share and send us hidden
news,” said Yeng Virak, director of the Community Legal Education
Center. “And they can be resources for professional journalists to write
stories.”
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