Representative Journalism

The Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University takes a look at our Locally Grown project in Northfield, Minnesota and likes what it sees. Here is a snippet of what Mathew Ingram writes:

This is a fascinating effort, I think. Since the idea is that these local news operations will be “crowdsourced” or community-financed, in many ways [...]

Representative Journalism has been getting international attention in the last couple of weeks, including the following articles in the USA, the United Kingdom and Spain. Reading the articles provides a good summary of what we are doing and where we are heading.

BusinessWeek.Com:
Online Journalism: Donations Accepted
Journalism.co.uk:
Join the niche movement
MediaShift:
Can Crowdfunding Help Save the Journalism Business?

ADN.es:
Se buscan [...]

I am very pleased to announce that this morning the Harnisch Foundation provided a $250,000 gift to Kennesaw State University to help advance my Representative Journalism concept.
Bill and Ruth Ann Harnisch awarded the check in New York this morning. The university will be putting out a formal press release, but I don’t want to get [...]

Doug McGill’s journalism class at Carleton College produced a video about our Representative Journalism project at the Locally Grown blog in Northfield, Minnesota. Rep J reporter Bonnie Obremski and Locally Grown blogger Griff Wigley are highlighted.
McGill’s students have been posting an impressive series of local journalism stories and posting them at Locally Grown. Their [...]

In the video below Bonnie Obremski talks about her role as resident Representative Journalist at the Locally Grown blog in Northfield, Minnesota. Bill Densmore, who has been an advisor to the Rep J project, also answers some of the questions asked at the recent Information Valet summit at the University of Missouri.
Mizzou “Lunchstorm” discussion [...]

The Representative Journalism and Spot.us crowdfunding models got the talking-head treatment at WGBH in Boston. It is interesting to be on the receiving end of one of these of discussions. In the end, I would say it was fair and balanced even though the moderator, who worried about the biases in crowdfunding, showed her [...]

When I first came up with my idea of Representative Journalism, which basically says if people want high quality information they should be willing to pay for it, lots of people said that would never happen. I argued that the day was coming that if they did not pay there would be no decent journalism. [...]

I am at the Society of Environmental Journalists 18th Annual Conference in Roanoke to spread the Representative Journalism gospel. Amy Gahran extended the invite and I will be on two panels and one dinner table discussion. The topic headings include:

Emerging Career Options: Digital Media and Your Future
Whither Journalism: Emerging Directions
Not-So-Idle Chatter: How Blogging and [...]

 Today I just finished hanging around at the WETA News Academy 2008 in Washington, D.C. I was there as a presenter and observer because I fully believe that PBS is the place for my Representative Journalism concept to take hold. So like Johnny Appleseed, I am going everywhere planting the seeds.
In addition, we are now [...]

Want the freedom to do high quality, ethically sound journalism in an inviting atmosphere; then this one-year fellowship might be perfect for you. Please spread the word, this will be a dream assignment for the right person.
Help chart the future of local news and community. Apply for a Representative Journalism Fellowship. Leonard [...]