[edit] WHY NOW?

Part pamphleteers, part reporters and part entrepreneurs, America's new online citizen journalists are inventing a new business and a new passion -- the business of building local, literate, digital domains on the web where community and commerce flourish. But there been only infrequent efforts -- and little structure -- to share best practices.

We invite you to join the Journalism That Matters collaborative, the Minnesota Journalism Center at the University of Minnesota, the Media Giraffe Project at the University of Massachusetts, the Minnesota News Council, MinnPost.com, Twin Cities Daily Planet, Minnesota Public/American Public Radio, Placeblogger.com, the Citizen Media Law Project at the Berkman Center of Harvard Law School and the Center for Citizen Media at Arizona State University at this national "placebloggers" convention. Funding sponsors include The Blandin Foundation, the C.S. Mott Foundation and the Park Foundation.

We're inviting some of the best examples of local online news operations run/owned by citizen/journalists for a sharing of best practices. This is less an event to show these folks to the outside world and more an internal, sleeves-rolled-up working session for them to learn practical things from each other -- almost continuing education. These citizen journalism and new media entrepreneurs from Minnesota and around the country will share successes and failures, and collaborate to take the next steps to ensure quality storytelling in service to democracy.

• We'll serve as an incubator / think-and-do tank for those who are considering starting their own civic engagement / citizen journalism projects in urban/rural Minnesota and nationally.
  
  
• We'll use MinnPost, Public Insight Journalism, TC Daily Planet, [LocallyGrownNorthfield.org, Minnesota E-Democracy.org local issues forums, and other innovative Minnesota online journalism and community experiments and services as case studies, and ask their operators to share their solutions for sustaining growth.

[edit] Who should attend

VENUE PHOTOS: The McNamara Alumni Center at the University of Minnesota

[edit] What to expect

[edit] Combined registration saves $70

The early-bird registration fee of $139.00 for the event, scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, June 4, all day Thurs., June 5 and the morning of Friday, June 6, includes dinners both evenings, continental breakfasts and lunch. Our event ends just before opening of the Fourth National Conference for Media Reform,(Fri.-Sun., June 6-8) at the Minnesota Convention Center. Through a special arrangement with Free Press, convenor of the NCMR, Journalism That Matters can offer combined registration in both events for $270 -- a savings of $70 off registering separately. To register once and attend both events, go to:

[edit] SUMMARY

• Event Name: New Pamphleteers/New Reporters: Convening entrepreneurs who combine journalism, democracy, place and blogs
• Short Name: JTM-Minnesota: New Pamphleteers/New Reporters
• Location: Minnesota Journalism Center / Univ. of Minnesota / McNamara Alumni Center
  

Address: 200 Oak St., S.E.
City, State, Zip: Minneapolis, MN, 55455

[edit] CONTACTS

Bill Densmore
Journalism That Matters / The Media Giraffe Project
108 Bartlett Hall / Univ. of Massachusetts
Amherst MA 01003
jtm@mediagiraffe.org / 413-458-8001

Jen Keavy, Communications Manager
Minnesota Journalism Center
School of Journalism and Mass Communication
University of Minnesota
111 Murphy Hall, 206 Church St. SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
PH. 612-625-8095; FAX 612-626-7543
jkeavy@umn.edu
mnjrnctr@umn.edu