The unmediated reality of citizen journalism means we get news that is a mess of information and speculation with little distinction between the two. In the gaming sphere, it’s common to look our for new patents and trademarks to decipher unreleased information about upcoming games and consoles. This information is often incomplete – but that doesn’t stop people posting dozens of speculation videos, theories, and even intentionally spreading misinformation.
It’s incredibly hard to figure out the truth when all you’ve got to go on is a single word. That said, monitoring trademarks can be very effective. There are some great sleuths out there that use contextual clues of the company in question, and deliberately separate the information from their interpretation of it. And when the dust settles, everything will become clear through official information releases. While there are a lot of deeply controversial things that should be discussed in regards to citizen journalism, it’s important to remember that there are benign and inconsequential things as well. This manifestation is a form of cultural participation.
data eater 