3 things you didn’t know about community journalism
Guest post by Liz G. Mineo, a freelance journalist, former Nieman Fellow, and instructor for the spring 2012 course Community Journalism
Local news is thriving
Despite talk about the demise of the press, community journalism is thriving. And it will continue to do so because, in the words of veteran journalist Ken Byerly, “a dogfight on Main Street is more important than a revolution in Bulgaria.” People are more interested in what hits home: They want to know about what their children are learning at school, which neighborhoods have more crime than others, and who was promoted, who got married, and who died.
A hyper-connected revolution has occurred
With the social media revolution, a local journalism revolution has also taken place. Over the past few years, hundreds of local news sites around the country have emerged, some launched by local residents, and others by big newspapers, startups or corporations such as AOL. In Massachusetts, The Boston Globe operates 50 local news sites offered through Boston.com’s Your Town. Everyone wants a piece of the hyperlocal market.
Journalism starts at the local level
Meetings, sports, schools, crime, and changes in the community are the bread and butter of community journalism. You don’t have to be a journalist to learn how to cover these issues. You could be a local resident frustrated with the big newspapers. You don’t need to work for The New York Times to report about corruption or write a story that changes someone’s life for the better.
If you have an interest in your town and want to play a bigger role in your community’s civic life, consider Community Journalism, where you get to do it all, with a lot of sweat and digging, but tremendous rewards you get to call your own.
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