CROWDSOURCING AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION: THEORETICAL BOUNDARIES AND COMMUNICATION MODELS IN MODERN JOURNALISM
Abstract
This article provides a comprehensive analysis of communication processes in modern digital journalism, focusing on audience participation. The study demonstrates that, due to the rapid development of digital technologies and social media platforms, the traditional role of the audience as a passive consumer has fundamentally transformed into that of an active participant in content creation and distribution. In this context, the research explores the theoretical foundations of crowdsourcing and examines its relationship and conceptual distinctions with related concepts such as user-generated content (UGC), citizen journalism, and participatory journalism through comparative analysis. The article proposes an evolutionary model of audience participation (UGC → citizen journalism → participatory journalism → crowdsourcing), highlighting the shift from simple and spontaneous forms to more complex, institutionalized, and managed modes of participation. Furthermore, the key characteristics of crowdsourcing are identified, including institutional initiative, clearly defined tasks, the integration of audience resources, and a focus on strategic outcomes. Its role within the journalism system is also theoretically synthesized. The research employs a combination of methods, including theoretical analysis, comparative analysis, conceptual modeling, and empirical observation. Based on examples from online media in Uzbekistan, various forms of audience participation are analyzed, and the practical application of crowdsourcing elements is assessed. The findings suggest that crowdsourcing, compared with other models of audience participation, can be understood as a strategic journalistic mechanism characterized by task-oriented processes, institutional initiative, and editorial control. This approach contributes to a clearer understanding of the theoretical and practical significance of crowdsourcing in the contemporary media system.
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