Based on the Public Sphere Theory, Analysis of Participatory Journalism Practices on Social Media

This paper analyzes the practice of participatory journalism on social media platforms based on the Public Sphere Theory. It explores the deficiencies of participatory journalism on social media platforms in conjunction with the connotations of the public sphere. The research concludes that the main types of participatory journalism on social media platforms include participatory news on sudden public events, event discovery-based participatory journalism, commentary-based participatory journalism, and participatory journalism on everyday events. The phenomenon of participatory journalism on social media platforms undoubtedly breaks the dominating control of professional media over the public sphere. However, the development of participatory journalism also faces many challenges, such as widening participation gaps, difficulty in controlling participation topics, and uncertainties among participants. In the new media ecosystem, how to construct a healthy media landscape and effectively leverage public power remains to be pondered.