Protecting Citizen Journalism

What is citizen journalism? And why is it so important?

Wikipedia offers up a pretty straightforward explanation:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_journalism

Writing letters to the editors are a traditional example of citizen journalism – it's getting the opinion of the people into the publication.

Blogs are a more contemporary take on citizen journalism. The conversation may start with a simple post, but it doesn't end there. By opening the publication up to public comments ensures that the conversation doesn't have to end with just one opinion.

Gathering the opinion of others – especially those who exist on the margins whose voices may not always be heard is admirable, but difficult.

Daily Camera's My Town is another example of citizen journalism. My Town recruits public contributions and lets the public dictate the content of the site. It empowers Boulder County citizens to participate in the news process. It helps highlight local issues and stories that the Camera is unable to cover.