If you know Mother Jones, you probably think of them as primarily a print magazine. “That’s not really true anymore,” says Steve Katz in this 10-minute interview. Katz talks about Mothers Jones’ embrace of Facebook and Twitter and use of those social media platforms to extend their reach and generate new stories. [Read more…] about How Mother Jones is embracing social media
media
Accuracy tip sheet
How to emulate the practices of professional journalists
As more individuals practice citizen journalism and more organizations incorporate media into their online communication strategies, it’s important to keep in mind the fundamental precepts of journalism.
Here’s a short guide to ensuring accuracy from the Center for Citizen Media in a project that I managed.
Before you write
1. The best way to maintain accuracy is to develop a system and stick to it.
2. Take the extra seconds to read back to the interviewee the spelling of his or her name. If you need an age, ask for a birth date and year.
3. Avoid using secondary sources to verify facts.
4. If you have to use secondary sources, find at least two and make sure they agree independently; don’t simply ask one to confirm what the other said.
5. Verify phone/fax numbers, web and email addresses. For example, copy the url from the document and paste it into a browser. Call the phone number. [Read more…] about Accuracy tip sheet
Debunking Internet hoaxes
Almost every day I get queries about whether a particular report or rumor circulating on the Internet is true or not. Not sure whether that e-mail you got contains the truth, a shred of truth, or is a complete fabrication? Here are some of the best resources for verifying or discounting possible Internet hoaxes.
Snopes2
The best of the bunch.
Hoax info from Internet 101
Advisories and warnings about hoaxes, myths, chain letters, bogus virus alerts and more.
Vmyths
Learn about computer virus myths, hoaxes, urban legends, hysteria, and the implications if you believe in them. [Read more…] about Debunking Internet hoaxes
Cali Lewis on what makes a successful podcast
Cali Lewis (real name Luria Petrucci), the Web show pioneer who is the host and co-producer of GeekBrief.TV, gives a 10-minute interview about her highly successful video podcast (that’s Internet TV to all you laypeople). She talks about the show’s genesis, what podcasting has to offer, how to generate audience participation, her use of Twitter (today she has about 50,000 followers), and her advice to those just starting out in podcasting. [Read more…] about Cali Lewis on what makes a successful podcast
NBC News’ Ann Curry on Twitter
Ann Curry, news anchor of NBC’s “Today” show, spoke animatedly at the 140 Character Conference in New York on June 15, 2009, about news as a public service rather than a business and the growing impact of social media services like Twitter.
I caught up with her as she was leaving and did a 3-minute video interview, in which she says, “People want to smarten up — and they want Twitter to smarten up” so that it can play a key role in the news ecosystem. [Read more…] about NBC News’ Ann Curry on Twitter
Online toolkit for citizen reporting
Jump-start your journalism with these resources for amateurs & pros
Note: Some links in the resource kit below may no longer work.
Do you need to find an expert, research your U.S. senator’s voting record or find out more information about a local nonprofit? Here are some resources to help you get started.
OpenCongress
This site houses official government data, including full text of bills that are going through congress and information about votes. It
features “Bills Most Viewed,” “Bills Most Covered in the News” and “Bills Most Covered in Blogs,” as well as its own blog on congressional happenings. [Read more…] about Online toolkit for citizen reporting
OhmyNews: ‘Every citizen can be a reporter’
A tour inside the newsroom of the pioneering citizen journalism publication
Following is a Q&A with Jean K. Min, communications director of OhmyNews International, the trail-blazing citizen journalism publication in Seoul, South Korea. The exchange — with questions put to him by myself and Matthew Lee of the Center for Citizen Media — took place in January 2007. [Read more…] about OhmyNews: ‘Every citizen can be a reporter’
Citizens’ media gets richer
Photos, video and audio are becoming part of the user-generated palette
This article contains some broken links but we’ll keep them intact as a snapshot in time.
By J.D. Lasica
Online Journalism Review
Not long ago, online news sites discovered that users wanted to become part of the media conversation. Begrudgingly, many news sites added group blogs and other devices that cracked open the palace doors and allowed readers to become writers. Turns out the barbarians at the gates were adept at slinging words. Who knew?
Now we’re seeing the next stage take hold in the citizens’ media movement. People are beginning to contribute rich media — photos, video and audio — to news sites.
“If news organizations don’t embrace this, it will embrace them, and they’ll become less and less relevant,” says Michael Tippett, founder of NowPublic.com. “Citizen journalism is not the future, it’s the present.” [Read more…] about Citizens’ media gets richer
