Community Media Ventures

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Community Media Ventures

• Citizen Journalists and Other Players

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Participatory Developments

• Individual Blogs
• Nonprofit Media
• Hyperlocal Citizens Media
• Civic Uses of Media
• MSM Community Ventures

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Participatory Journalism
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When ConsumersBecome Creators
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Community Media

• Reacting to
• Definitions of News
• Conventions of Journalists
• Aspirations for Impact

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Mainstream Media

• Reacting to
• Profit pressures
• Internet
• Bad journalistic habits

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New Questions

• Who is a journalist?
• What is journalism?

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Participatory Trends

• Breaking News
• Watchdogging News
• Reporting Micro-local News

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You cant have real newspapers without
democracy You cant have democracy without
newspapers --Alexis de Tocqueville
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Journalism Today

• Blurred lines
• --Reporting Commentary
• --Entertainment News
• Difficulty getting it right
• Serving elites vs. citizens
• Out of touch with public
• Commercial gt sensational

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Bad Habits

• Act rushed
• Hover with notebook
• Ask loaded questions
• Expect fast answers
• Listen for quick quote
• Show up only for problems
• Corrupt behavior

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Passive Spectators of Civic Freak Show?

• Or
• Active Participants in Self-Governing Society?

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Participatory Motivators

• Checks Balances - Govt
• Checks Balances - News
• Build Connections
• Build Communities
• Build better citizens

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Content

• New Definitions News
• Hyperlocal information
• Commentary, Conversation
• Individual Stories, Photos
• Expertise
• Activism

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Players

• Journalists, ex-Journos
• Community Catalysts
• Community Connectors
• Web savants
• Cowboys, entrepreneurs
• Students

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What is News?

• Content audits 1977 - 1997
• Government News lt 38
• Entertainment News gt 380
• Scandal News gt 300

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Pablo Boczkowski

• News
• Moving from being journalist-centered, a
  monologue and primarily local, to being
  increasingly audience-centered, part of multiple
  conversations and micro-local

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2004 Year of Blogs

• Daily Kos gt 250
• Wonkette gt 240
• Blogger.com gt 73

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Citizen News Blogs

• Scoops
• Breaking News
• Missed News
• Truthsquading
• Beat Extenders

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www.memoryhole.com
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www.msnbc.com
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BBCs Eyewitness Accounts
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South-East Asia Tsunami Blog
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www.talkingpoints.com
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Powerline.com
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Spokesmanreview Beat Blogs
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Technorati Election Watch 2004
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Collectively, my readers know more than I do.

• --Dan Gillmor
• Author, We the Media

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Participatory News

• Devoid of journalistic conventions
• Focus on immediacy
• Focus on hyperlocal
• Focus on individuals

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Elections Participatory Media

• Track Facts
• Follow Money
• Produce Citizen Ads
• Make Movies
• Distribute E-mails

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Truthsquading www.factcheck.org
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www.followthemoney.org
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MoveOn.org Bush ads
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MoveOns Childs Play
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Fahrenheit 9/ll
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Remixes Deans Scream
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Are these participatory news experiences?
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Choices exercises
AOL President Match Quiz
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GothamGazette.com
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Non-Profit Media
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2005 Hyperlocal Citizens Media

• (HLCMS)

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www.ohmynews.com
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Four Types of HLCMs

• Former Journalists
• MSM ventures
• Community Webbers
• J-Schools

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2005 Hyperlocal Citizens Media

• (HLCMS)

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www.ohmynews.com
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WestportNOW.com
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WestportNOW.com
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Coastsider.com
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LiveFromArlington.com
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iBrattleboro.com
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NorthwestVoice.com
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www.FredTalk.com
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www.freenewmexican.com
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www.projo.com
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MyMissourian.com
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Northwestern GoSkokie.com
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www.J-NewVoices.com
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New Voices Spotlights
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Mental Checklist

• Do you only raise awareness?
• v Can a story invite input, ideas?
• v Can it help readers do something with the
  information?

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Mental Checklist

• Have you talked to all stakeholders?
• v Do you report more than two sides of the
  story?
• v Do the pros and cons get you the real story?

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Mental Checklist

• Do you report internal and external conflict?
• v Do you help people see possible choices and
  consequences of those choices?
• v Do you examine conflicting values?

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Mental Checklist

• Do you advance solutions?
• v Report what has worked elsewhere?
• v Invite community brainstorming?

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Mental Checklist

• Do you invite participation?
• v How can people respond?
• v Are there entry points for input?

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Build Connections
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• The Institute
• for Interactive Journalism

www.j-lab.org
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Other Entry Points

• Web sites
• Framing Exercises
• Solutions Efforts
• Reactive Venues

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Charlotte Observer
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Taking Back Our Neighborhoods
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Participatory Input

• Data Crunching
• Community Poll
• Citizen Advisors
• Town Halls

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Participatory Tools

• TV and radio partners
• Neighborhood advisors
• Town hall meetings
• Success stories
• Needs lists for each area

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Charlotte Observers Needs List
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Savannahs Vision 2010
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Participatory Attributes

• Entry points for citizen input - task force
• Reported solutions
• Build civic capacity
• Action plan
• Non-profit foundation

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Reader Response

• 1,100 reader calls
• 200,000 donations
• 50 tons food
• 8,000 toys
• Thousands volunteer hours