Explain the concept of gatekeeping differences between news value theory and citizen journalism.

• A. News value theory emphasizes professional gatekeepers applying objective criteria; citizen journalism minimizes gatekeeping due to decentralized content creation.
• B. Both rely on centralized editors with identical gatekeeping practices.
• C. Citizen journalism uses stricter gatekeeping than traditional news.
• D. Gatekeeping is irrelevant in citizen journalism.

Answer: (A)

Gatekeeping in traditional journalism is built around professional editors who apply standardized criteria to decide what counts as news. News value theory outlines those criteria—timeliness, proximity, impact, prominence, human interest, conflict, novelty—and editors use them to filter a vast flow of information into a manageable, coherent news agenda. In this view, gatekeeping is centralized and systematic, with trained professionals guiding what gets published.

Citizen journalism changes that dynamic by expanding who can produce content. With many individuals able to publish directly, the gatekeeping role shifts away from a centralized newsroom toward a more decentralized process. What gets visibility is increasingly shaped by audience reactions, social sharing, and platform algorithms rather than a single editorial standard. So the traditional, centralized gatekeeping is minimized in citizen journalism, even though some gatekeeping still happens indirectly through platforms and norms.