77: Judging Citizen Journalists

pgillin — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:23:32 +0000

Consumer-generated media has caused a lot of excitement among publishers who hope to use it as a low-cost way to generate content. However, a recent article in Folio magazine noted that coordinating an army of citizen journalists to produce publication-quality information is messy and expensive. David and Paul believe media generated by readers has its place, but it will never measure up to material from professional writers. They question whether those standards are realistic, though. Consumer-generated media should be measured on its own merits, not those of professional journalists. Do you agree? Let us know in the comments area below.

Listen to the podcast (right-click and save to download): 19:13

Experiment in Citizen Journalism

pgillin — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:04:15 +0000

Does print still have value? The people at Neighborsgo.com would argue that it does. This website, which is a spinoff ofthe Dallas Morning News, is using a social network to anchor a community journalism initiative. Local residents create profiles and post information about their interests.

Every week, editors dig through comments from citizens and produce 18 local print editions. Here’s a description of how it works. The opportunity to be featured in print is a major impetus for local residents to contribute, says managing editor Oscar Martínez (left). And it may actually be a jump start for careers. One journalism student has used her trip to Beijing to contribute a series of articles on the preparations for the Olympics. The visibility she’s received has been worth more than any internship could offer.

Martínez is a career newspaper guy who made the switch to online media eight years ago. He understands the difficulties that print journalists are experiencing in moving to a new medium. In this audio interview, he talks about the innovations that are working for Neighborsgo and how journalists can find their distinct value in a new world of consumer-generated media.

To play the interview, click here. To download, right-click the link and save to a local file (49:53)

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77: Judging Citizen Journalists

Experiment in Citizen Journalism