Citizen/Community Journalism Griff Wigley Wigley and Associates WigleyAndAssociates.com LeadershipBlogging.com

Northfield Citizens Online Northfield.org Pop: 17,000 Carleton, St. Olaf Colleges Defeat of Jesse James Days “ Cows, Colleges, Contentment”

Pop: 17,000

Carleton, St. Olaf Colleges

Defeat of Jesse James Days

“ Cows, Colleges, Contentment”

Northfield.org timeline Living room salon – 1991 FreeNet BBS - 1993 Nonprofit 501c3 - 1995 Web Café Message Board, Community forums: radio, print, F2F, online - 1996 Weblog format – 2002 Photo gallery - 2003 Civic blogosphere project – 2004 Citizen podcast – 2005 Memberships, sponsorships, managing editor - 2006

Living room salon – 1991

FreeNet BBS - 1993

Nonprofit 501c3 - 1995

Web Café Message Board, Community forums: radio, print, F2F, online - 1996

Weblog format – 2002

Photo gallery - 2003

Civic blogosphere project – 2004

Citizen podcast – 2005

Memberships, sponsorships, managing editor - 2006

March, 1991 issue of Utne Reader

Dec ‘91 topic: How can the internet be used to strengthen a geographic community rather than undermining it?

Why an independent non-profit? Mission: “An electronic commons that strengthens the fabric of community” Considered being part of the city (library), the school district (community ed), LWV, hospital We chose independence to better serve our mission, which might not always align with the missions of existing organizations or institutions (similar to a newspaper) Fundraising

Mission: “An electronic commons that strengthens the fabric of community”

Considered being part of the city (library), the school district (community ed), LWV, hospital

We chose independence to better serve our mission, which might not always align with the missions of existing organizations or institutions (similar to a newspaper)

Fundraising

Northfield.org Web Café & ISSUES List 1995-2002: Web Café Message board (moderated) 2002-2006: ISSUES email discussion list (moderated) Winter 2006: both

1995-2002: Web Café Message board (moderated)

2002-2006: ISSUES email discussion list (moderated)

Winter 2006: both

Northfield.org Community Forums One issue for two weeks Newspaper Radio Face-to-face Online (with guest panelists & a moderator)

One issue for two weeks

Newspaper

Radio

Face-to-face

Online (with guest panelists & a moderator)

Northfield.org Community Photos 2003-present (6,000 photos)

Historical Society Auction photos 2003-06

200 citizen-submitted photos, 6 videos Aug ‘06 hailstorm

Northfield Civic Leader Bloggers 2003 Minnesota State Representative Ray Cox Eden Prairie City Manager Scott Neal (formerly Northfield) Northfield Chief of Police Gary Smith

Minnesota State Representative Ray Cox

Eden Prairie City Manager Scott Neal (formerly Northfield)

Northfield Chief of Police Gary Smith

Leadership Blogging A blog allows you to leverage your leadership activities & interactions with strategic storytelling

UK visit, summer 2004

Civic leader bloggers 2005

Civic/citizen Journalism "Freedom of the press is limited to those who own one.” - AJ Liebling Blogs can be started and maintained at no cost Citizens and civic leaders as amateur journalists; not just consumers of information but producers

"Freedom of the press is limited to those who own one.” - AJ Liebling

Blogs can be started and maintained at no cost

Citizens and civic leaders as amateur journalists; not just consumers of information but producers

Lesson of the blogosphere A cluster of knowledgeable, motivated bloggers can sometimes be collectively better informed than the media about a story a company about its products government officials about an issue Gannett’s “crowdsourcing” initiative

A cluster of knowledgeable, motivated bloggers can sometimes be collectively better informed than

the media about a story

a company about its products

government officials about an issue

Gannett’s “crowdsourcing” initiative

Range of citizen e-participation Visiting/reading/forwarding (lurking) & then talking about it Straw poll, rate-this-post Submit an event Blog comment Message board/email list comment Submit photo, story, news item Start a blog Start a podcast

Visiting/reading/forwarding (lurking) & then talking about it

Straw poll, rate-this-post

Submit an event

Blog comment

Message board/email list comment

Submit photo, story, news item

Start a blog

Start a podcast

Straw poll

Submit Event

Attach a blog comment

Forum or email list comments

Submit photo, story, news item

Start a blog – non profit exec

Northfield’s Civic Blogosphere

Start a blog – citizen

Start a podcast (internet radio show) Locally Grown: a weekly Northfield issues podcast www.locallygrownnorthfield.org

RSS RSS: Really Simple Syndication Allows visitors to subscribe w/ newsreader (aggregator)

RSS: Really Simple Syndication

Allows visitors to subscribe w/ newsreader (aggregator)

NY Times RSS Feeds

Community aggregator via RSS Allows a community site to aggregate all the blogs in the area

Allows a community site to aggregate all the blogs in the area

The principle of RSS as community aggregator Like a good family, it allows autonomy while creating belongingness A community blog/web portal brings needed eyeballs to new bloggers Allows you to ignore the trash, flakes, blowhards

Like a good family, it allows autonomy while creating belongingness

A community blog/web portal brings needed eyeballs to new bloggers

Allows you to ignore the trash, flakes, blowhards

Editorial control still important

Financial sustainability Public radio model Grants Sponsorships Banner ads Memberships / pledges

Public radio model

Grants

Sponsorships

Banner ads

Memberships / pledges

Traffic signal - citizen blog entry Jan. 05

Traffic signal - Issues forum Jan. 05

Traffic signal - Mayor’s task force Feb 05

Traffic signal - Straw poll Oct. 05 Citizen produced using the Issues forum

Citizen produced using the Issues forum

Traffic light - Consultant support Nov. 05

Traffic signal - Council action Dec. 05

Traffic signal - blogging updates Feb. 06

Citizen/Community Journalism Griff Wigley WigleyAndAssociates.com LeadershipBlogging.com Northfield.org LocallyGrownNorthfield.org