Getting Closer to SMS Journalism

Guy Berger
11:24 AM | bio | Comments: 0

In August, we start some initial workshops with high school learners, to discuss with them what it takes to be "citizen journalists" - contributing content that the mainstream will publish. What's more, the content is constrained by being 140 characters long - sms is the method of communications for now. Over the course of 8 workshops, 80 learners in their penultimate school year will be trained about optimum Cit-journ in this way ... all over two months. The workshops, to be run by university journalism students and co-ordinated by colleage Sipho January, will cover the skills of contributing opinions, news... continued...

Topics: Mobile
Tagged: cellphone journalism, Knight Foundation

The Sites in their Sights

Guy Berger
9:57 AM | bio | Comments: 1

So which are the regular websites visited by the big names at the MIT Center for Future Civic Media conference? I asked people like Jay Rosen, JD Lasica, Amy Gahran, Paul Grabowicz, Henry Jenkins and others to share their favorites. Surveying ten or so folks shows that top of the list is Jeff Jarvis' BuzzMachine. It's followed closely by Amy Gahran's E-Media Tidbits and Jay Rosen's Pressthink. Dan Gilmor, Romanesko and Mark Glaser's MediaShift are also popular online destinations. Also mentioned were: Paidcontent.org ReadWriteWeb Dave Winer's Scripting News Doc Searles Steve Outing JD Lasica's Social Media Online Journalism Review Cyberjournalist.net... continued...

Topics: Best Practices
Tagged: best blogs, Center for Future Civic Media, MIT

Twittering from the Future of Civic Media Meeting

Guy Berger
6:21 PM | bio | Comments: 2

Opening panel at the conference is talking from local media (as civic media), ranging to macro political level. Tweeting the debates.... continued...

Topics: Government & Politics, Participation
Tagged: Center for Civic Media, Dan Gillmor, Henry Jenkins, Jay Rosen, Lisa Williams

African Cell-Phone Media: Hostage to Policy Delays

Guy Berger
5:09 AM | bio | Comments: 0

There are a couple of delays in implementing our Iindaba Ziyafika - the news is coming project around cellphone journalism, supported by the Knight Foundation - but the tardy policy context in South Africa is also a constraint. At present in South Africa, at least six out of ten adults have access to cellphones, but their main use is for interpersonal conversation. The notion that these are devices that can also be used to receive, and contribute to, journalism is not well-developed beyond sms comments sent to the mass media. What could begin to change this culture is free-to-air television... continued...

Topics: Government & Politics, Mobile
Tagged: cellphones, Knight Foundation, policy, South Africa