Is there anything that is truly “objective” in our world? Can a news organization really be “fair and balanced”? These may seem like noble ideals for reporting on the world around us, but if the standards are often a bit out of reach for most mortals it’s probably better to try for a more human approach. That’s what I’m going to suggest works best for internet based reporting of any kind.
Entries categorized as ‘Writing’
Convincing
20 November 2009 · 6 Comments
Writing as a reporter, a Citizen Journalist, requires a cool touch that can be hard to make exciting. That’s probably why it’s not all that popular on the internet. Most of the writing that we see in a political or newsworthy context isn’t writing to inform but to convince. It usually runs hotter with an urgency that propels the story forward easily. It may be a lot of fun to write, but it is even harder to do well. Writing to convince is a kind of organizing that has its own sense of quality. This is my attempt at defining it.
Quality
11 November 2009 · 11 Comments
I’ve long been a believer in the power of Citizen Journalism, but I’ve never seen myself as any kind of expert or leader in the field. One of the things missing in the field has been a definitive primer on quality in Citizen Journalism. No one has written one yet, so I’ve decided to write one myself even without credentials. Given the topic, why not?
Just Sayin’
16 October 2009 · 7 Comments
Every language has a few words or phrases that are used because everyone is used to them. Some of them work pretty well, but others are used in silly ways. If you take the world at face value, some of them are literally very funny without meaning to be.
Categories: People & Culture · Writing
Newsbobber
14 October 2009 · 9 Comments
One of the hottest topics in journalism is the future of the craft itself. Newspapers are laying off reporters at a rapid clip at the same time that technology has made “citizen journalists” out of any blogger willing to take up the handle. What is the future of a profession that appears to be in such decline? Like many careers, journalism is clearly going to change in ways that are hard to predict right now. The future may lie in a bit of the past and a bit of innovation, as shown by the excellent new aggregator of Minnesota blogs, Newsbobber.
