The contribution of citizens to media contents is here to stay. Phenomena like Facebook, blogs and Twitter have opened space for the public and have enriched the debates on socially significant issues. The advent of digital media with content partially or fully produced by those who previously were public or, eventually, sources, has sometimes suggested the possibility of a replacement of journalism. This article confirms, through a content analysis of media belonging to the Network of Citizen Newspapers of Chile, that units developed by citizens do not meet the criteria of Journalistic Added Value (JAV). It therefore concludes that the contribution of citizens can benefit and be a complement to the news agenda, but it is far from complying with the professional journalism’s basic standards: selection, prioritization and contextualization of socially relevant contents.Keywords: citizen journalism; journalistic quality; information; citizen media; Web 2.0; produser; freedom of speech; Chile.The contribution of citizens to media contents is here to stay. Phenomena like Facebook, blogs and Twitter have opened space for the public and have enriched the debates on socially significant issues. The advent of digital media with content partially or fully produced by those who previously were public or, eventually, sources, has sometimes suggested the possibility of a replacement of journalism. This article confirms, through a content analysis of media belonging to the Network of Citizen Newspapers of Chile, that units developed by citizens do not meet the criteria of Journalistic Added Value (JAV). It therefore concludes that the contribution of citizens can benefit and be a complement to the news agenda, but it is far from complying with the professional journalism’s basic standards: selection, prioritization and contextualization of socially relevant contents.