CITIZEN JOURNALISTS

Last year, the National Endowment for Democracy published a series of papers highlighting the importance of ‘citizen journalist’. As I read through one of the papers, I found numerous points worth making on this World Pulse platform about the building networks within communities that promote development.

As many involved in Web 2.0 efforts understand, citizen journalism can be important specially in areas where ‘...poor infrastructure, minimal access to technology, and small-scale economies impede the creation or sustainability of mainstream independent media’. [MEDIA LITERACY: CITIZEN JOURNALISTS by Susan Moeller, Oct 09]

Helping local communities to understand all sides of issues affecting their lives can facilitate peaceful local development efforts. Learning to identify the needs of a community, and how to manage and evaluate information are key skills for citizen journalist to learn and command.

Educating about technology and how to use it productively can certainly speed up the pace of development. Credible reporting assists in developing trust that information is being provided fairly and reliably.

The Deerfield, New Hampshire Forum was an example of a US community that has benefited from citizen journalism allowing residents to take control of and be responsible for media coverage in their own community. Learning about and getting engaged in issues and events that matter in a local community help in building the community.