As part of an email conversation I mentioned that as part of the free flow of information online, citizen journalism is a vital element and something which deserves more exposure rather than less. How reliable is it? We might gauge its reliability on two levels. 1) is there a ‘tribe’ present 2) can the authors position, or an indication of neutrality be identified given such an anonymous space as the web.

While good at adding breadth, the failure of citizen reporting is it’s lack of contribution to traditional journalism. It largely fails to add depth to an issue. However, issues and themes get a voice and a platform, where media orgs and traditional journalism had previously couldn’t afford them the space. Does one owe anything the other?? coverage will greatly increase as the proliferation of citizen journalism becomes part of teh media mix on our mobile and home devices.

The impact of citizen reporting on traditional journalism? It will be partly at the expense of traditional media titles and outlets – the survivors of which will find ways to adapt and provide value. Where news has previously not been selective and personalised, users now have a choice to find a media mix of traditional and new journalism. The immediate impact will be dramatic while traditional media finds ways to adapt to new modes of delivering content.

What does social media brings to citizen journalism? It rapidly divides and personalises news content, and it gives prominence to news items with the greatest mass appeal – this is a disadvantage – Journalism becomes a means to activate a community of interests. In the long tail, all content is given an audience over time, and users seek to comment and build on a piece

The ways to social media? Start with Live web, geographic applications, voting, adding reviews, sharing and annotating content — using platforms, qype, facebook, twitter, linkedin and others.

In the future, citizen journalism and social media will develop with a lot of synergy, as personalisation and targeted, geographic aware, fragmented and intricately shared content becomes common place.

Organic+

An ambitious UK registered charity with an international network of active supporters have raised the bar for engagement and promotion of stockfree organic methods of agriculture and horticulture throughout the world. Working with trustees and the media department it has been a rewarding experience to be involved with a solution which sets the charity apart.

Link coming soon as the project comes to a close. Looking forward to more widely available, tasty, green, clean and cruelty-free food.

Disley.info - developed by First Interval

Approaching First Interval with a request for way to manage their own content, council offices in Disley, East Cheshire UK now have a Wordpress based, dynamic and easy to update website at www.disley.info.

With training and guidance, Mary and the office staff quickly learnt the simple steps to add news, events and manage the entire website with a few simple clicks. Website engagement has also increased, and it gives a great perspective on local life for visitors and residents alike.

It’s been a pleasure to work with Disley Parish Council, and it will be great to explore other opportunities with hyper-local websites and complementary community sites in the future.

Create 'n' Innovate

The Northern Ireland Government sought a website and interactive events strategy for a planned creativity and innovation event.  A key thought behind this solution is that interaction with the event = engagement – before, during and after the event, leveraging the website presence to support delegate networking and back channel conversations.

Encompassing on-the-day support and citizen-reporting to engage delegates in Twitter enabled conference discussion, and to create a record of the findings of the event, the Create ‘n’ Innovaet website demonstrates only the beginning of an exciting project for and a truly innovative event solution.

Funding seminars

The arts plays a large part in leading to open and respectful exchanges of views between individuals and groups belonging to different cultures – it leads to a deeper understanding of the other’s world perception. It’s extremely rewarding to involve yourself in culture, and it brings an intrinsic smile to the fore when you then discover a place like the TATE modern or taking time out at the Louvre.

It’s been a micro-site factory here in the Peaks District, with extraordinarily fast turn-arounds on two sites promoting funding seminars for the art sector, and for a UK consultancy tasked with representing the EU for major arts funding programs.

Developing a micro-site to signpost visitors in the right direction, the project for EUCLID successfully provides an overview of corporate activities, and leads the visitor in a clear path to the unsuprisingly tangled web of European funding!

• Fresh From…the City – “more and more, people are realising that decisions regarding food and health are too important to leave in the hands of others”.
• OutlookDeck Cuts Through Busy Inbox Noise [Downloads] – analysing productivity at work? this post also links to a bunch of outlook boosters

Comments? Engage with this site leaving a comment or subscribe to the communities_building_futures blog and get future articles delivered to your inbox.

• Bloblive: Pitch your best green biz idea – Open Mic nights turn from comedy and music to 'ideas'. Liking this a lot.
• DIY, No-Electricity Lighting from 2-Liter Bottles [Weekend Project] – inspiring innovation via a youtube video – video that won't work with England's sunlight hours.as well as Brazil
• Non Profits Lack Social Media Strategy – spelling out what is very apparent across the 3rd sector, given the example of the uk's highest profile charity event Comic Relief's social media presence.
• Frost over the World – John Kerry – 6 Mar 09 –
• Copenhagen Climate Council – "Green Growth Is the Only Growth We Can Afford," Says Hedegaard. Ahead of the Climate Council in Copenhagen (which I'll be attending), Danish minsters are adding important rhetoric ahead of this meeting. <br><br>The Climate Community is launching in March on this site and I hope you can join me there to see what may take place, and what this generation can do to influence the outcomes later this year.

Comments? Engage with this site leaving a comment or subscribe to the communities_building_futures blog and get future articles delivered to your inbox.