Who you know can make all the difference for breaking news. The more eyes and ears you have working for you, the better the sources and the better your end result-- your story-- will be. I think the greatest testament to citizen journalism for my generation is how quickly word of mouth travels through Facebook and Twitter. Most times I find out that a celebrity has died or that a tragedy has happened through people's updated statuses and Tweets. Although at times having more than 1,000 "friends" on Facebook can seem ridiculous, I realize that Facebook isn't what Myspace used to be: a place for friends. It honestly is a new networking tool and a great source for stories and tips.
Being hyper-local is not easy. Gaining a local audience is key to surviving in the new social media world. Anything your staff can do to gain page views needs to be done. Advertisements for local businesses can help, but creating a niche Web site can really increase your reach. A lot of newspapers have launched their separate online niche sites completely run by citizen journalists. The more views each blog receives, the more money the writer is paid. A perfect example of this is that The Independent Florida Alligator, my college's paper, recently became part of The Huffington Post's college branch. The college section really narrows the demographic of the readers, and can make advertising certain age-specific products way more effective. The Chicago Tribune Chicagonow and The Miami Herald's five communities Web sites are examples of bigger newspapers increasing their readership in a cheap way during budget-cut times.
After reading a lot of the reviews for WikiCity, I have to say that I think it is a great idea. The site only gets out what the locals put in, but in small towns, locals will talk and blog because they don't have their own newspaper or news channel. Yes, there is always the concern that, like Wikipedia, people who blog can be wrong, but other citizen journalists can update and correct their mistakes as well. The site is different because it starts like a phone book, listing local businesses, but it can grow into a source of news about everything in town.
When relying on citizen journalists for content, it is a good idea to make sure they know a little about the ABC's of journalism. Start by teaching the basic, like fact-checking all proper nouns in a story and being consistent with tenses. Workshops can help train new writers. Positive reinforcement and constructive criticism will help your writers stick with you and improve. If they enjoy writing, they will remain in contact, and you will have one more reporter listening for news.
According to a map from the Knight Citizens News Network, there are more than 800 different citizen media sites in the nation. Why is this surprising to me? Because building hyperlocal pages , particularly for the smallest newspapers, can be costly, time-consuming and sometimes impossible given technological limitations of staffs. I know at my paper, it's hard enough to attract student writers who are supposedly looking for clips for their portfolio and want writing experience. But even with the need for writing experience, some students' time is precious and they have other commitments. The same holds true for working adults. But I think the coolest part of citizen journalism is that despite having families to raise and jobs to work at, so many parents and adults have time to blog for their sites. They WANT to. It keeps them informed and also helps the neighborhood out at the same time.
Another aspect of citizen journalism is the community's bloggers become watchdogs, just like news reporters are supposed to be. Julie Faneslow's example of how a community helped eliminate a heroin/meth problem parallels a current story at my paper. On March 2, a graduate student/ teacher's assistant/ international student was shot by university police, after being Tasered and bean-bagged. Because the case is under investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the State Attorney's Office, reporters haven't been given much information. Fortunately, concerned citizens from the community have posted on every story about this incident and have come forward to the newsroom with tips. From family friends to coworkers and neighbors, the variety of sources has greatly assisted writers, and it was all made possible by feedback on our Web site.
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ReplyDeleteBut it would be heroin