Citizen journalism training
From Media Giraffe
Contents
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[edit] Resources for learning the practice of Citizen Journalism
"Citizen journalism" is a term used to describe news-writing, often in a web context, by individuals who typically do not make their primary living from journalism. Some colleges, universities and groups are now teaching aspects of citizen journalism. This page is a collection of source resources, compiled by collaborators of the Media Giraffe Project. It's a work in progress, certainly not comprehensive. If you know of additional programs or workshops, please add them this page. Please include source and contact information.
[edit] J-Lab initiative at Univ. of Maryland
J-Lab: The Institute for Interactive Journalism, at the University of Maryland-College Park, has received a grant to form the Knight Citizen News Network. The initiative's website will launch in beta by December at http://wwww.KnightNet.org, with a more formal unveiling in March 2007. A key mission of the network is to offer training -- and link to training -- for citizen journalists. Submit information to Jan Schaffer, executive director, by email or mail to 7100 Baltimore Ave., Suite 101, College Park, MD 20740 (301) 985-4020.
Read an Internet Scout Report review of the J-Learning affiliated website at J-Lab.
[edit] From Amherst, Mass.
The University of Massachusetts division of continuing and professional education offers a "Certificate of Online Journalism" through UMassOnline. The curriculum was designed by Journalism Prof. Norman Sims. Information on the Certificate can be found here: https://www.umassulearn.net/ProgCertOlJourn.htm.asp. Of particular interest is a course offered this January by Jill Lang, formerly with VillageSoup in Camden, Maine. Journal 293V, Citizen Journalism and the Web, is described this way: "Citizen Journalism is when someone--anyone in the public--reports news and contributes to the information available and the dialogue about issues of the day. Citizen Journalism involves words, photos, and sound. This course is about tools for Citizen Journalists and how to use them. We'll look into the how & why about those in the industry who embrace this new trend and those who are confused or threatened by it. Citizen Journalism is a new thing: this course is for students who want to be ahead of the curve and anticipate the discussions of tomorrow as Citizen Journalism evolves. In this class you will become a Citizen Journalist, make regular blog entries, and read about and discuss the theory and history that got us to this place and the events and people who could impact what comes next. We'll discuss the critical questions surrounding Citizen Journalism today, including how will citizen voices be heard? Will mainstream journalism accommodate them? What business models will bring Citizen Journalism into the industry in a financially success way? How are professional journalists using Citizen Journalism to improve their reporting? We'll also look at some successful models that have brought Citizen Journalism into the mainstream of community journalism in recent years. The course can be useful to traditional journalists and managers as well as to those outside the mainstream who want to contribute to the journalism of our age." Jill Lang can be reached at jblang@tidewater.net for more information, or contact Norman Sims at sims@journ.umass.edu.
[edit] In Lawrence, Kansas . . .
The World Company, which publishes the daily Lawrence Journal-World, and the William Allen White Scool of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Kansas have started a Citizen Journalism Academy, and the paper's general manager, Ralph Gage, reports that more than 100 people applied to become class members. Sessions are being held every Monday during October. Twenty-three persons, selected by a committee from the school and the "converged" news operations, comprise the class. Dean Ann Brill and Cody Howard, director of 6News (the video arm of the converged newsroom) have done most of the organization for the classes. Prof. Peggy Kuhr and Ann Gardner, editorial page editor of the Journal-World, taught the second session. Overall, the academy seeks to teach processes and standards to help translate community activities and events into news, including writing, photography, videography and blogging. Gage said another goal is to demystify the activities that lead to what gets on TV, the Web and into the newspaper. Class members so far have provided positive feedback about the offerings and are blogging on a site created for class members and the professionals to exchange views and information. There is no charge for five week-day evening classes, each 2 hours. To see the agenda, click to: http://www.mediagiraffe.org/wiki/index.php/Citizen_journalism_training_kansas
[edit] In Minneapolis, Minn. . . .
Former New York Times reporter and Bloomberg bureau chief, Doug McGill, offers a six-week citizen journalism workshop, called Largemouth, every spring and fall at the Resource Center for the Americas, and one-day and two-day workshops at local high schools, colleges, and civic groups. The six-week Largemouth class publishes articles written in class at www.largemouth.org, and in the Twin Cities Daily Planet at www.tcdailyplanet.org. The class meets once a week for three hours and covers topics ranging from basic reporting and writing to interviewing techniques, story structures and forms, journalism ethics, and writing opinion pieces. Most classes include a presentation from a visiting professional journalist who explains his or her job, offers strategies and tips, and answers student questions. Students write several articles during the course, and class critiques of those pieces takes up 60% of the class time. General discussion about the purpose of the media and the rise of citizen journalism, based on a series of readings, is also given emphasis. The Largemouth classes are taught in conjuction with the Twin Cities Media Alliance, a Minnesota not-for-profit that publishes the Twin Cities Daily Planet and sponsors public events and programs to educate citizens about the mainstream media, and vice versa.
[edit] In Madison, Wis. . . .
Madison Commons is a project of the UW-Madison School of Journalism & Mass Communication and its Center for Communication and Democracy. The goal of the Commons is to gather stories from all of Madison’s neighborhoods in one accessible place. We offer a series of workshops each fall and spring to community members who would like to report on the people and issues in their neighborhoods. Workshop participants explore the roles and responsibilities of community reporters. Individuals write a range of stories, such as profiles and issue-based articles, and they work collectively with Commons editors to revise these stories as part of the learning process. An outline of our curriculum can be found here, [1]
[edit] In the San Francisco Bay area
Josh Wilson of NewsDesk.org, writes that NewsDesk offers internships for people who want hardcore, roll-up-your-sleeves training on online publishing, research, editing and writing. Wilson teaches journalism occasionally at City College in San Francisco, and also for smaller affinity groups, like the Elyseum Arts Literary Group here in SF. He also suggest check with the Media Alliance.
[edit] In Oakland, Michigan
On Dec., 14, 2008, Glenn Gilbert, executive editor of the Oakland [Mich.] Press, announced the start of the Oakland Press Institute for Citizen Journalism.
[edit] At the University of Florida
Former Washington Post interactive editor Mindy McAdams teaches online journalism at the University of Florida and regularly updates a personal blog on the topic.
[edit] Other reference resources
[edit] Books and guides
- Eesha Williams,of Brattleboro, Vt., who has been a radio and newspaper reporter at dailies, weeklies and trade publications in New York, Illinois and California, is the author of "Grassroots Journalism: A Practical Manual" (ISBN: 1-878585-63-0), a handbook for community journalism. A second edition was due out in fall, 2006 from Dollars & Sense press (http://www.dollarsandsense.org / (617) 447-2177 ext. 202).
- Mark Glaser, who writes the MediaShift column for the U.S. Public Broadcasting Service, has developed a comprehensive blog post which includes definitions and links to other citizen-journalism resources.
- The New York-based Grassroots Media Coalition maintains an extensive page of links to advice about how to create a news release and otherwise work with or create media in multiple formats.
