Citizen Media News

May. 5: No Business Model, No Site

CitJ photo site Skoeps closes, no business model
The Editors Weblog, May 5, 2008
http://www.editorsweblog.org/web_20/2008/05/
citj_photo_site_skoeps_closes_no_busines.php
Owners of the Dutch citizen photojournalism website, Skoeps, announced Friday they will be shutting down. The news was met with mixed reactions. Is citizen media here to stay or not?

Apr. 1: Cit Journalists on the Scene

No Casual Operation: Inside a Citizen Journalism Newsroom
Poynter Online, April 1, 2008
http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=101&aid=140354
The Chi-Town Daily News has developed a system of recruiting, training and managing citizen journalists in Chicago’s neighborhoods in a way that enables them to have reporters on the scene of breaking news as it happens.

Feb. 29: Cit Media Speaks Spanish

Citizen Journalism Spreads in Spanish-Speaking World
MediaShift, Feb. 29, 2008
http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2008/02/periodismo_ciudadanocitizen_jo.html
Citizen Journalism is cropping up in “the third most commonly used tongue on the Internet.” Spanish-based citizen media sites are growing in places like Argentina with igooh.com, Bolivia with ahorabolivia.com and Peru with Gua 3.0, to name a few.

Feb. 26: Citizen Photogs: ‘Right Place, Right Time’

The Rise of the ‘Citizen Paparazzi’
The Wall Street Journal, Feb. 26, 2008
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120214555663941015.html?mod=mm_hs_media
Professional photographers bump elbows with amateurs on the red carpet and struggle to make $50 on photos that used to draw a couple hundred dollars due to the rise of ‘right place, right time,’ citizen paparazzi.

Feb. 12: Nonprofit Journalism Filling Gaps

Nonprofit journalism on the rise
csmonitor.com, Feb. 12, 2008
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0212/p03s01-usgn.html
Nonprofit newspapers, both online and in print, spring to cover the gaps that downsizing newsrooms have left behind. Though they have a smaller circulation, these non-profits remain serious in emphasizing “what people need to know the most.”

Feb. 11: CNN’s iReport to Expand

Report: CNN citizen journalism site close to launch
The Social- CNETnews.com, Feb. 11, 2008
http://www.news.com/8301-13577_3-9869182-36.html?tag=cd.blog
CNN’s iReport will expand to a new Web site to include user submitted videos, photos and news. This site’s content will be moderated after submission, unlike iReport whose content is pre-selected for posting.

Feb. 11: National Press Club Recruits Citizen Journalists

National Press Club targets citizen journalists
Tech News Blog- CNETnews.com, Feb. 11, 2008
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9869718-7.html?tag=newsmap
The National Press Club is expected to announce a deal with Helium.com to recruit citizen journalists as new online-members. Applicants will be judged by a committee like traditional journalists.

Jan. 28: The Year of Citizen Journalism

What’s in store for citizen journalism in 2008?
Editors Weblog, New Media, Jan. 28, 2008
http://www.editorsweblog.org/2008/01/whats_in_store_for_citizen_jou.php
After breaking new ground in 2007, citizen journalism promises to continue to evolve in 2008, according to GroundReport. Citizen Media will look to traditional media as well as Web 2.0 to become organized and “break out of the pack.”

Jan. 24: TribLocal.com Shows CitMedia Flaw

Citizen Journalism: A Field Day for the Flacks?
Chicago Reader, Hot Type, Jan. 24, 2008
http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/hottype/080124/
Michael Miner points out a defect in the Chicago Tribune sponsored citizen journalism outlets, Trib Local and TribLocal.com, where political cheerleaders can be headliners.

Jan. 19: J-Lab Grantee Runs for State Rep

Mann for state rep
Concord Monitor, Jan. 19, 2008
http://www.cmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/
20080119/OPINION/801190365/1029/OPINION03
Maureen Mann, Managing Editor of the New Voices Grantee project The Philbrick James Forum in Deerfield, N.H., plans to run for New Hampshire’s District 1 house seat in a special election to replace retiring dean, Robert Johnson. She runs on a platform of leadership and immersing herself in the community.

Jan. 16: Triblocal Expands Reach

Chicago Tribune Web service expands community content online to 13 more suburbs
Chicagotribune.com, Jan. 16, 2008
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-ap-il-triblocal-expansi,0,5357090.story
The Tribune’s citizen journalism project, Triblocal, expands to include 13 more suburbs in southwestern Chicago, and plans to host a total of 35 “hyper-local” sites by the end of the year.

Dec. 18: OhmyNews Touches the Seoul of Citizen Journalism

KOREA: OhmyNews opens Citizen Journalism School
Asia Media, Media News Daily, Dec. 18, 2007
http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article-eastasia.asp?parentid=84262

OhmyNews transformed an abandoned elementary school near the capital of South Korea into a center for training citizen journalists. Classes offered include writing workshops, photojournalism, advanced classes in interviewing and even a “re-education” program for professional journalists.

Dec. 18: Citizen Media Takes World by Storm

Training a New Generation of Citizen Journalists Around the World
Media Shift Idea Lab, Dec. 18, 2007
http://www.pbs.org/idealab/2007/12/training-a-new-generation-of-c.html
Although many Knight News Challenge winners are at the forefront of the citizen media movement, some of the newest CitJ training is happening across the globe.

Nov. 29: CitJ ‘as American as Apple Pie’

Putting the “Me” in Media
CBS News, Public Eye Blog, Nov. 29, 2007
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2007/
11/29/publiceye/entry3555158.shtml

Matthew Felling talks about how the American institute of Citizen Journalism is spreading around the world citing Agence France Press and Arab blogger, Abu Aardvark as shining examples.

Nov. 27: Citizen Journalist: ‘We’re here. Get used to it.’

Storming the News Gatekeepers
Washingtonpost.com, Nov. 27, 2007
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/
11/26/AR2007112602025.html?sid=ST2007112602118&sub=AR

Faye Anderson, of the blog “Anderson at Large,” claims journalism, as an institution, has lost credibility. Anderson says anyone with access to the Internet can be a journalist to fill in the gaps that mainstream media fails to cover. But others, like Andrew Keen, author of “The Cult of the Amateur,” criticize the Web 2.0 world saying that not just anyone can be a journalist.

Nov. 11: Mizzou pushes CitJ curriculum

Teaching citizen journalism challenges both profession and professor
MEDIASHIFT, Nov. 11, 2007
http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2007
/11/back_to_schoolteaching_citizen.html

Clyde Bentley guest blogs for Mark Glaser on MEDIASHIFT and discusses what makes his position and curriculum at the Missouri School of Journalism “one of the very few practical courses” in journalism. Bentley launched MyMissourian.com, a community site staffed by students, in 2004. To teach the students a sense of community, the Mizzou curriculum requires students to take a 50-stop community tour.

Oct. 9: MSNBC acquires CitJ start-up

MSNBC buys Newsvine as a route into citizen journalism
Guardian Unlimited, Oct. 9, 2007
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/10/09/
msnbc_buys_newsvine_as_a_route_into_citizen_journalism.html

MSNBC has made its first acquisition in 11 years of business in purchasing Newsvine (www.newsvine.com). With a staff of six people, Newsvine is quite small compared to MSNBC’s owner companies, Microsoft and NBC. Still, MSNBC hopes to learn about participatory journalism from this “small but innovative player.”

Oct. 3: TechPresident tracks e-campaigns

TechPresident, the Internet Citizenry’s New Consensus Taker
Washingtonpost.com, Oct. 3, 2007
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/
article/2007/10/02/AR2007100202188.html

The times, they are a-changing, and so is the face of politics. The grand prize winner of the Knight-Batten Awards for Innovations in Journalism, TechPresident is the only Web site filling the gap between technology and politics as more presidential candidates from both the Democratic and Republican parties are turning to the Internet for their advertising and voter engagement. TechPresident is comprised of reader blogs with up to date information on campaign technology and statistics on how candidates are using sites like MySpace, Facebook and YouTube.

Sep. 19: QPNN.tv: CitJ for Latinos

QuePasa.com Spearheads Citizen Journalism for Latinos
CNNMoney.com, September 19, 2007
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/
articles/prnewswire/LAW07119092007-1.htm

QuePasa.com introduced QuaPasa News Network (http://www.QPNN.tv) to appeal to the growing Latino multimedia market. Members of the new site act as citizen journalists by submitting their own video covering anything from breaking news to human interest pieces. Registered users can also share links with other members and post video to their member profiles or other personal sites by way of a video widget. The site allows you to choose whether to interact in Spanish or English to serve both its U.S. and Latin American audience.

Sep. 12: New study: User-picked top stories differ from media’s

The Latest News Headlines - Your Vote Counts
Project for Excellence in Journalism, September 12, 2007
http://www.journalism.org/node/7493

The Project for Excellence in Journalism conducted a study for one week comparing the top news stories of the main stream media to the top stories on user-news sites such as Reddit, Digg and Del.icio.us. They found a large gap from what professionals consider to be news and what the audience finds newsworthy. While politics, disasters and foreign affairs were at the top of the news index, technology, science and lifestyle topped the list for Reddit, Digg and Del.icio.us.

Aug. 27: New Minn. site raises $1.1M

Internet-Based Daily News Enterprise To Be Launched This Year
MinnPost.com, August 27, 2007
http://www.minnpost.com/news/

Joel Kramer, CEO and editor of MinnPost.com, has raised $1.1 million to start up his not-for-profit hyperlocal news site, and has gathered 25 big name journalists to contribute stories. The online daily will serve the Twin Cities and the general public of Minnesota, and will feature exclusive news stories in a format they call “posts,” a blog-like format that will allow professional journalists and readers to engage in conversation.

Jul. 16: Post goes local in Loudoun

In Push for Local Readers, Post Unleashes LoudounExtra.com
washingtonpost.com, July 16, 2007
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/
content/article/2007/07/15/AR2007071500648.html

The Washington Post launched LoudounExtra.com in an attempt to regain the readers it is losing from its daily circulation. In a departure from the way most big papers cover local communities, LoudounExtra.com will attempt to provide a comprehensive database of everything from local church and high school events to restaurant hours and menus. The database will be accessible from many platforms including your iPod and cell phone. Amateur bloggers and citizens will also contribute to the site.

Jul. 16: Assignment Zero a “satisfying failure”

Did Assignment Zero Fail? A Look Back, and Lessons Learned
Wired.com Tech Biz, July 16, 2007
http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/
2007/07/assignment_zero_final?currentPage=all

Assignment Zero fell dramatically short of the goals it set for itself but proved the potential of crowdsourced journalism. The developers cite the “overarching concept of crowdsourcing,” poor Web site design, and miscommunication among a large group of contributors as causes for the failed project. “What we learned is that you have to be waaaay clearer in what you ask contributors to do,” said Jay Rosen, the founder of New Assignment and a journalism professor at New York University.

Jul. 10: Why did Backfence fail?

Jonathan Weber: Hype and hyperlocal: the fall of Backfence
Times Online, July 10, 2007
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/
tech_and_web/the_web/article2055193.ece

“In the rush to reinvent local journalism, the journalism piece is getting lost,” wrote Jonathan Weber of NewWest.net, sharing his thoughts on why hyperlocal media ventures such as Backfence.com are failing. Without an editorial angle or a story they’re trying to tell, some sites end up not being “about” anything, he said.

Jun. 1: How big do you have to be to go small?

Rolling the Dice
American Journalism Review, June/July 2007
http://www.ajr.org/Article.asp?id=4343

Despite high-visibility failures like Backfence and only modest profits for “successes” such as Baristanet, more and more mainstream media outlets are jumping into the field with participatory projects of their own. Yet to be seen is whether multi-million dollar news organizations will be able to make something worthwhile for a hyperlocal audience that will also make a meaningful amount of revenue.

Apr. 19: Va. Tech coverage shows shift in media

Dan Gillmor: Citizen media advanced Virginia Tech tragedy coverage
The Examiner, April 19, 2007
http://www.examiner.com/a-682623~Dan_Gillmor__
Citizen_media_advanced_Virginia_Tech_tragedy_coverage.html

Most anyone following the national coverage of tragic shootings at Virginia Tech saw a student’s cell phone video, in which gunshots could be heard from outside of a class building. Within the campus, students were using social networking sites such as Facebook to share their own news and to check up on their friends.

Apr. 19: Trib calls for citizen contributors

Tribune rolling out ‘hyperlocal’ Web site
Chicago Tribune, April 19, 2007
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/
chi-0704181135apr19,0,4387189.story?coll=chi-bizfront-hed

In answering the question, “how can we make the paper more relevant to readers who continue to live further and further away from the center city,” the Tribune is launching Triblocal.com. The largely unedited and self-policing site will allow citizens and organizations to publish their own stories and photos, which will be reverse-published in a tabloid-sized print edition.

Apr. 16: VT shooting recorded on cell phone

Student shot video of campus shooting
CNN.com, April 16, 2007
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/16/
vtech.witness/index.html?section=cnn_latest

Jamal Albarghouti, a Virginia Tech graduate student, was walking about 200 feet from Norris Hall when he saw police officers rushing to the scene with guns drawn. Albarghouti drew out his camera phone and began shooting video that would eventually air repeatedly on news broadcasts across the country.

Feb. 27: MSNBC delivers CitMedia

MSNBC.com Tees Up FirstPerson
Media Post Publications, Feb. 27, 2007
http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?
fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=56136

Joining the growing trend, MSNBC.com launched FirstPerson, a feature enabling citizen journalists to upload stories, video, and photos related to personal interests. The site also allows users to vote on their favorite stories and displays editors’ picks as well.

Feb. 14: AP warms up to blogs, citizen media

AP Announces Deal with Media Bloggers Association
MediaShift, Feb. 14, 2007
http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2007/02/
digging_deeperap_warms_up_to_b.html

AP formed an alliance with the Media Bloggers Association (MBA) for blog coverage of the Scooter Libby trial, and a wider deal with citizen media site NowPublic. Jim Kennedy, vice president and director of strategic planning for AP, said citizen media has the ability to cover more things than the AP does.

Feb. 1: Barry Parr fights for public access

Who Owns the Public Record? Placeblogger, Local Access Board Lock Horns
Placeblogger, Feb. 1, 2007
http://www.placeblogger.com/blog/lisa-williams/
who-owns-the-public-record-placeblogger-local-access-board-lock-horns

Barry Parr of Coastsider is in a fight with local cable-access channel MCTV over the rights to footage from a Half Moon Bay City Council meeting. Parr recorded the footage from the broadcast and uploaded it to his site for the public to access at their convenience but MCTV asked he take it down.

Jan. 30: Santa Rosa station fires news team, hires citizens

TV50 calling all citizen journalists
The Press Democrat, Jan. 30, 2007
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/
article?AID=/20070130/NEWS/701300331/1033/NEWS01

TV50 in Santa Rosa’s general manager and vice president said citizen journalists will do a “much better job” covering local issues than the 13 members of the news department he let go. The station will host a weekly public affairs program and regional information segments featuring content submitted by citizens.

Dec. 4: Gannett sees online, hyperlocal future

A Newspaper Chain Sees Its Future, And It’s Online and Hyper-Local
The Washington Post, Dec. 4, 2006
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/
2006/12/03/AR2006120301037.html

Gannett is pushing its 90 newspapers to focus more on their online editions, and some of their papers are equipping journalists with laptops, digital audio recorders and digital cameras so that they can conduct interviews, take pictures, write stories and post them on the Web all without having to set foot in the office.

Dec. 4: Yahoo and Reuters launch You Witness News

Have Camera Phone? Yahoo and Reuters Want You to Work for Their News Service
The New York Times, Dec. 4, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/04/technology/
04yahoo.html?ex=1173931200&en=d3083eb3354cba07&ei=5070

Yahoo and Reuters launched You Witness News, an online source where users’ photos and videos can be seen alongside photos and videos of professional journalists.

Nov. 16: The Rise of Citizen Journalism

The Rise of Citizen Journalism
The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer (PBS), Nov. 16, 2005
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/media/july-dec05/citizen_11-16.html

The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer delved into the growing world of citizens media with a segment in November 2005. The report includes interviews with J-Lab Executive Director Jan Schaffer and Maureen Mann of The Forum, a New Voices grantee. Transcript, streaming audio and streaming video all available.

Nov. 9: Update with Susan CEO DeFife

BackFence Update with CEO Susan DeFife
The Local Onliner, Nov. 9, 2006
http://localonliner.com/?p=241

As BackFence expands from its Washington, D.C., area beginnings to Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area, CEO Susan DeFife says that the site is succeeding based on the ideas that it set out to prove - that the community will use the site, that advertisers would put money into it, and that the site could be syndicated in different areas.

Nov. 8: New York Times adds citizen media content

NY Times to expand citizen journalism
InfoWorld, Nov 8, 2006
http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/11/08/HNnytimesjournalism_1.html

Avoiding accusations of slow transition to the use of citizen media, the New York Times is trying to find a balance of accepting citizen media contributions while still upholding the quality standards of the newspaper. The Times plans to add capabilities to the web site so readers can submit content such as photos and reports.

Nov. 7: Monetizing citizens media

Gannett To Change Its Papers’ Approach
The Washington Post, Nov. 7, 2006
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/
2006/11/06/AR2006110601142.html

Gannett will look to incorporate input and story ideas from non-journalists as its newspapers merge their print and online operations. The company is urging its newspapers to find story ideas in community discussion boards, as well as to create Internet calendars of local events that might not normally be considered newsworthy.

Nov. 7: Citizen ‘journalists’ cover election, voting

Citizen ‘journalists’ cover election, voting
CyberJournalist.net, Nov. 7, 2006
http://www.cyberjournalist.net/news/003860.php

CyberJournalist.net links to several sites that sent volunteer contributors out to report on the 2006 midterm election. Citizen reporters submitted photos and video from polling places to report on “the local voting experience” and irregularities between polling places.

Nov. 1: OhmyNews’ Oh My Biz Problem

OhmyNews’ Oh My Biz Problem
BusinessWeek, Nov. 1, 2006
http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/nov2006/gb20061101_539412.htm

After several years of modest profits, OhmyNews, the pioneering citizen media site based in South Korea, is expected to lose money in 2006. The site posts about 150 new articles a day, has 90 full-time staffers and boasts 44,000 citizen contributors, but the site is still struggling to find a workable business model.

Oct. 2: More bloggers get sued

Courts are Asked to Crack Down on Bloggers, Web Sites
USA Today, Oct. 2, 2006
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-10-02-bloggers-courts_x.htm

In January 2006, the David Milum became the first blogger in the United States to be convicted of libel after he wrote accusatory remarks about his former attorney on his blog. Since then, more than 50 lawsuits have been filed by people who felt they were harmed by bloggers posting false information about them. The results will set the precedent for whether blogs will be held to libel standards similar to newspapers.

Mar. 12: The sweet (and sour) smell of success at YourHub

The sweet (and sour) smell of success at YourHub
Online Journalism Review, March 12, 2006
http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/060312grubisich/

The Denver Newspaper Agency’s YourHub.com is not only attracting citizen reporters, but publicists taking advantage of the ability to freely post press releases because the site does not filter out advertising content.

Jan. 16: Debra Galant on the Joys of Local News Blogging

The Walter Winchell of Montclair: Guest Writer Debra Galant on the Joys of Local News Blogging
PressThink, Jan. 16, 2006
http://journalism.nyu.edu/pubzone/weblogs/pressthink/2006/01/16/gl_brsta.html

Debra Galant, Baristanet.com founder and editor in chief, tells how the idea for Baristanet came about, how writing for a citizen media site differs from writing for mainstream media, and what draws people to these sites.

Apr. 11: Are You Ready for a Brand New Beat?

Are You Ready for a Brand New Beat?
PressThink, April 11, 2005
http://journalism.nyu.edu/pubzone/weblogs/pressthink/2005/04/11/clg_out.html

In April 2005, Jay Rosen wrote in PressThink that the time to question whether blogs belong in the journalism world has passed. For better or worse, he said, blogs have become a part of the media landscape, and the focus should instead be on how to monetize blogs now that they’ve taken hold. Rosen includes comments from Baristanet’s Debbie Galant, H2Otown’s Lisa Williams and School Information System’s Jim Zellmer on how their sites are working as businesses.