Lessons Learned Teaching Citizen Journalism
I am a little late on this but Douglas McGill of The McGill Report shares seven lessons he has learned in providing journalism classes to citizen journalists. Here are the headings:
1. Citizens are an untapped source of expertise and positive civic energy that journalists can help unlock.
2. There is no substitute for a strong, independent, institutional journalism.
3. Citizens can help journalists reconnect to the wellsprings of their craft.
4. Journalists need to learn citizenship skills, as much as citizens need to learn journalism.
5. A good citizen journalism class, like a great newspaper, allows for all types of expression – artistic, poetic, literary, photographic, musical, comical and fun.
6. Citizens create vital community consciousness through the discipline of writing journalistically.
7. I’m the one who needs to change.
