When I began thinking about citizen journalism, all I could envision was the most honorable examples. Examples that included people dedicating themselves to improving society through altruistic acts. When thinking about it some more, I began to realize that citizen journalism doesn’t necessarily have to be performed by the most unselfish people; citizen journalism is literally journalism performed by citizens. It is when average, ordinary citizens with their own flaws and problems decide to spread a message to the public, despite whether they had good intentions while doing it. For me, the most compelling form of citizen journalism is comics and cartoons. These methods are the most effective due to their simplicity as well as their effect.

As an adolescent, I couldn’t help but pick up my mother’s newspaper and go straight towards the comics. At that age, it probably would have been better for me to actually read an article but I think that the comics still served a great purpose. They informed me about some of the issues going on in the world and actually portrayed them in a facetious manner so that it could keep my attention. These comics also helped fortify some of the values that I was already learning from growing up.

Today, as an adult, my outlook on comics and cartoons may have changed but their impact on the youth is still evident. Comics can bridge a gap that is caused by age. Through visuals and comedic relief, comics help teach younger people as well as less educated people whereas long, sophisticated articles would only confuse them. The simplicity of comics allow them to be understood by a greater audience.

Comics and cartoons have also been sparks for social change throughout history. For example, cartoons such as this have revealed issues to the public by using fewer words.

In today’s society, comics could even be better utilized. According to “Failing Grades on Civics Exam Called a ‘Crisis‘”, the American youth doesn’t know about some of the most basic government processes. This could be caused by a lack of time to pay attention to government or by just never being adequately informed about the government. Either way, comics can help solve the issue. It takes minutes, sometimes even seconds, to understand comics and most of them are not boring enough to cause one to stop halfway while reading it. Comics also will help inspire others to participate in citizen journalism in their own way. In Putnam’s “Bowling Alone “, participation by the American people in community organizations is on the decline after being so high during the 1960s. Through the use of comics, the American people could learn information in a quick, simple manner and actually apply what they learned to instigate change, whether they do it through or within a community organization or they decide to do it their own way. Comics and cartoons are never looked at as the best way to disseminate information due to the stigma that is held against them. Comics and cartoons serve a much greater role than just entertainment; when used effectively they can make learning accessible to everyone.