What is the effect of "citizen journalism" on news reporting?

issue prior to revisions:

Hey gritty, don't hurt yourself. 

Do we not want "Neither" or "Neutral" or "No effect?"

I'm so with you on this one, esperanto, that my teeth hurt (from gritting).

Citizen journalism is broader than just blogging. It also includes stuff like that I-Report bullshit on CNN.

This issue rocks hard and is definitely not redundant or covered by another issue on this site.

There is definitely an argument to be made that it has a negative effect on jounalism as a whole. I will deliver an extensive rant about how this fascination with bogus citizen journalism is eroding the quality and professional ethic of journalism even further than its already tragically degraded state if need be. I'll do it. Don't make me.

That said, I prefer the current wording to Brian's suggestion. because it encompasses the potential effect as well as the effect that can already be observed.

yea, what do we mean, exactly, but citizen journalism. if we mean blogs, it looks like that other question covers it.

What effect has "citizen journalism" had on news reporting?

What effect do citizen journalists have on the mainstream media? 

Not sure this is the right angle.  I can see the argument that they're having a positive effect on the media, but what's the argument that they're having a negative effect?  If there's shitty citizen journalism reporting it's going to have a negative effect on citizen journalism, not the media, right?

We do already have Are blogs credible sources of news? under Internet, which somewhat covers this question, but this is a bit broader.

PBS/MediaShift:

One of the main concepts behind citizen journalism is that mainstream media reporters and producers are not the exclusive center of knowledge on a subject — the audience knows more collectively than the reporter alone.

...many professional journalists believe that only a trained journalist can understand the rigors and ethics involved in reporting the news.

The problem, as critics are quick to note, is that among all the average Joes and Janes who are recruited as reporters, few will likely be blessed with the sort of objectivity readers demand in their coverage. As it is, newspapers struggle with maintaining objectivity with their paid staff.

issue prior to revisions: