Written by Darren Bunton   

True ethical citizen journalists promote the safety of the practitioners, as well as the protection of the general public and other institutions of society. The protest and activism tactics utilized by any journalist should involve passive actions, as opposed to violence and destruction. The "ethical" citizen journalist generates support from others in the cause based on proven methods that gain the attention of policymakers; the powers-that-be.

By being ethical, practitioners are able to ensure their safety, as well as the safety of other citizens, and ultimately the world community. Ethical citizen journalists encourage protesters to post concerns on their social network sites, not gather in public places and create chaos.

When large crowds gather to support or protest a particular cause, there are often cells of individuals or groups that support disorder. Within those factions exist sub-groups full of members who don't understand, nor care to civilly address, the underlying issues of the protests in which they are involved. There could also be the reality that some don't know why they are involved. Citizen journalism requires a format, a plan, and most importantly, rationale and logical organization.

The violent protests in the United Kingdom further reinforces the need for the proper training and education of citizens employing media protest tactics. Ethical standards must be set by associations that provide practitioner courses and training. The consequences and backlash resulting from the riots in and around London are costly to the entire world.

The businesses that suffered the most loss were owned by everyday people like me and you. From where does their justice come? It comes from preventing future abuse of technology, social media, and the right to engage. Justice for all of society comes in the form of educational citizen journalism seminars designed to equip the average citizen with proper and ethical citizen media tactics.