The digital technology advances in the last decades and the rising will of the audience to participate in the news field explain the development of the phenomenon known as citizen journalism. Up to now -despite the generalization of the use of this term- it is a very ambiguous concept where professional and civic mix together in an imprecise way. This paper has a double aim: review the basis of this informative tendency and propose a more contextualized theoretical interpretation for it. From the analysis of the current scientific debate, this paper contributes with a rereading of the concept of citizen journalism in professional and social terms. Facing the risk of the overcome or bannalization of the journalistic activiy, this phenomenon is understood as an opportunity to reinforce its professional model and to defend its functions as a informative filter for quality and as the main promoter of the democratic debate.