citizenjournalismfaq

Citizen Journalism FAQ

Frequently asked questions about being a citizen journalist for NowPublic

Citizen Journalism FAQ

What is citizen journalism?

Citizen journalism is participatory journalism. Reporters can't be everywhere, and citizen journalists fill in those gaps. In addition, citizen journalists often know their community and field of work better than professional journalists, and are better able to report on events where they live and work.

Why is citizen journalism important?

Reporters often miss important news; or they're too busy to report on it. People in your community want to know what's happening down the block and around the corner -- why that helicopter's hovering overhead, why a restaurant suddenly closed, what's that bad smell near the stream, why a city councilmember's chief of staff suddenly took an extended vacation. Citizen journalism also lets people in widely separated places know that they're not alone with certain problems. It's helpful to know that what's affecting your community or city happens elsewhere, too, because that often leads toward solutions.

Do I need any training to be a citizen journalist?

You don't need formal training to be a citizen journalist. The basic tools are your eyes, your ears and your brain. Start by reporting what you see: sometimes asking questions is as valuable as having the answers. You may not know why something happened, but reporting the facts is the first step toward figuring out the "why." You'll find some useful training tools on NowPublic's website, if you want to read more about the basics of being a citizen journalist.

What about photos? Do I need photographs for my stories?

You can report the news without photographs or videos. But if you have visual material, then include that with your story. Conversely, you can file a story that doesn't include much more than a photo or video: It is true that a picture can be worth a thousand words, especially in the news business.

What kind of things should I report on? How do I know that what I'm writing about won't bore everyone?

Write about what you see, what you know, and what interests you. Former Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Tip O'Neill once remarked that all politics is local. The same could be said for journalism: You rarely hear people complaining that their local newspaper or television stations spends too much time reporting on local news. Attend a city council meeting and report on what went on. Go to a high school sports game and file a sports report. Interview your mayor. Interview a soldier in your town who's just returned from overseas duty. Interview a store owner or the CEO of a locally based company. Did you serve on a jury? -- that's something of interest. Why is a particular intersection in your town always backed up? There is a wide variety of topics you can write about.

Here are some specific ideas:

* Community and ANC meetings

* Traffic accidents

* Crime (police reports are a great starting place for crime reporting)

* Development and zoning issues

* Interviews with local merchants

* School safety

* Education issues

* Reviews of local Internet service providers

* Restaurant reviews

* Condo association meetings

* Local environmental issues

* Storm reports

I'd like to report on more than is just going on in my community. Can I do that?

Yes. Take a look at articles that other people are writing, and you'll get a sense for the range of reporting opportunities that are available. Something else important that you can do is this: When you hear about breaking news in a distant place, and if you have a friend, family member, former teacher, or acquaintance in that place, give them a call and let that person be your eyes. An on-the-scene interview with somebody who's close to news is an important way to report news.

Do I have to be impartial to report the news?

The not-so-little secret of journalism is that many reporters are biased, and many of these biases present themselves in what reporters write and say. The key ingredients to fair reporting are to report the facts accurately and to let readers know your feelings and your biases. Don't hide what you think, who you are, and what your background is. Present the multiplicity of sides and opinions to a story, and that will go a long way toward preventing somebody from saying, "It's so obvious that you're just biased."

I'd like to write for NowPublic. Where do I start?

Sign up here: http://www.nowpublic.com/clevelandpark. Feel free to add a photograph of yourself and a brief biography. Then click on Write a Story and begin writing. Questions? Email us.

Washington, DC's citizen jouralists are invited to particate in our virtual newsroom via Skype. Please email us your Skype contact information and we'll invite you into our newsroom.

What are the benefits to writing for NowPublic?

Have you ever said to yourself, "I wish that they're report on xyz?" Well, now you have the ability to write about what you think is important. You can educate, you can inform, you can influence public opinion by reporting the facts.

When you write for NowPublic, the story will include your byline; ownership to the story's rights remains with you. Of course, if the Associated Press (with whom NowPublic has a partnership) wants to distribute your article and/or photographs, you'll be paid for that.

When you start writing for NowPublic you'll have an RSS feed (a way for people to subscribe to your articles.)

What are tags?

Before pressing the publish button, add tags to your story. Tags are keywords that let people find your article. If you're writing about pollution at the beach, some tag words might be, "beach, ocean, sand, soda cans, pollution, environment, litter, debris." Because most articles are about or involve a location, be sure to add the location in your set of tags -- that way people will be able to find your article when they're looking for information or news about a particular city, town, or neighborhood. (When you write about Washington, DC, add the tag: "washington dc" or "dc.")

How is writing for NowPublic different fromm blogging?

In some ways, writing for NowPublic is like blogging: You decide what you want to write about. You can have an RSS feed that people can use to have your report sent directly to their webpage. But writing for NowPublic differs from blogging in three important respects. First, if the AP circulates your article or photograph, you'll be paid. Second, you have the company of other writers and editors on NowPublic who can help you with your article. Third, if you're taking a break from writing for NowPublic for a few days or weeks, people won't lose interest in your site, because you're part of a large reporting community. Fourth, and perhaps most importantly, a lot more people are likely to see what you've written on NowPublic than on a blog where you're the sole writer.

I made a mistake in my article. What do I do now?

You can update and correct mistakes in your articles on NowPublic. Just click on the edit tab. You can also add additional tags later on.

Will I be paid for reporting the news?

The Associated Press has an option to use NowPublic's news. If the AP uses your story, photograh, or video, you can be paid for that.

Do I retain the right to my articles?

Can I add photos after my article is published?

Yes. Just log on to your NowPublic personal page, find your story, and then upload photos. You can also use NowPublic's crowdsourcing tools to add photos and videos that relate to your article from Flickr and YouTube.

I'm not good at proofreading. How can I quickly check my articles?

Be sure to use spell check -- that's always a prerequisite to publishing. Second, if you wrote your article on your computer, print and proof: Proofing on white paper is often easier and more revealing than proofing on a computer screen. Third, read your article out loud. Reading out loud is one of the best ways to spot mistakes. Finally, grab another pair of eyes: Your spouse, a co-worker, even your teenage son or daughter can spot grammatical errors, confusing sentences and other errors that you don't see. You can also ask somebody in the NowPublic newsroom to proof your article.

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