Focus on Citizen Journalism

Much was written in July 2007 about citizen journalism. This renewed focus was at least in part the result of the Washington Post's highly-publicized debut of LoudounExtra.com [1], its first aggressive push into "hyperlocal" online journalism, just as Backfence [2], a visible and at times successful pioneer hyperlocal site, was shutting down.

CCJ collected and posted several articles about various aspects of citizen journalism this month.

• WEDNESDAY'S WEBSITE: Knight Citizen News Network [3]
  -- July 25
  This week's featured website was KCNN - a self-described "self-help portal that guides both ordinary citizens and traditional journalists in launching and responsibly operating community news and information sites."
  

• To Save Themselves, U.S. Newspapers Put Readers to Work [4]

  -- July 24
  Gannett newsrooms appear to be ahead of the pack in transitioning to business and operational models that make the Web the primary vehicle for news. Involving readers and taking a "hyperlocal" approach to news are the reasons why.
  
  
• Citizen Journalism Site NowPublic Raises $10.6 Million in Capital [5]

  -- July 29
  NowPublic, a citizen journalism site that lets individuals take pictures and post articles about news they see going on around them, raised $10.6 million in a first round of capital.
  
  
• Public Insight Journalism Initiative: A Model for the Future of Journalism? [6]

  -- July 25
  MSNBC's Michael Rogers examines MPR's Public Insight Journalism Initiative, an ambitious effort to harness the power of citizen contributions to newsgathering and reporting.
  
  
• Potts Shares Lessons Learned from Backfence Bust [7]

  -- July 16
  Co-founder Mark Potts tries to set the record straight about why the series of Backfence hyperlocal community websites shut down.
  
  
• Washington Post Unleashes New Hyperlocal Website [8]

  -- July 16
  LoudounExtra.com launched today. Its mission: to help the Washington Post push aggressively into 'hyperlocal' online journalism.
  
  
• Nine Steps to Citizen Journalism Online [9]
  -- July 12
  Knight International Journalism Fellow Stephen Franklin offers advice on how to become a responsible, interesting, and effective citizen journalist.
  
  
• Rolling the Dice on 'Hyperlocal' Sites [10]

  -- July 10
  AJR writes that despite high hopes for hyperlocal news online, early returns suggest the financial outlook for such ventures is not bright.
  
  
• Media Companies Trying to Get 'Hyper' Local [11]
  -- July 10
  AJR examines the trend toward media companies embracing 'hyperlocal' websites as a new way of engaging fleeing readers.

How has your newsroom utilized the expertise and efforts of your readers/viewers for news gathering and reporting?
Have you been asked by a news organization in your community to help it report a story?
What kinds of stories have citizen journalists been most helpful in reporting?
Are there any tools or processes you use for making use of citizens in news gathering and reporting that you think CCJ members and website users might find helpful?

Send us an email [12]. The best citizen journalism tool we collect will be highlighted as a "featured tool" [13] in August.

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