St. Louis convention proposals due Oct. 15

The Civic & Citizen Journalism Interest Group (CCJIG) invites panel proposals for the 2011 AEJMC convention to be held in St. Louis, Missouri from Aug. 10-13.

Please email your panel proposal to Co-Vice Chair Kirsten Johnson (johnsonka@etown.edu) as a Word attachment by Oct. 15.

Past panels have focused on blogging discourse, credibility of citizen journalism practices, citizen contributions and politics, user collaborative activities, community conversations in hyperlocal media, newsroom projects, practicing civic and citizen journalism in a multicultural environment, and teaching civic and citizen journalism.

Panel proposals for 2011 may address, but are not limited to, the following broad themes:

1. Defining who citizen journalists are, and the roles they serve in their communities. Defining what is and is not citizen journalism.

2. Emerging models and best practices in teaching of civic/ citizen journalism.

3. Media convergence and using new tools to facilitate citizen journalism.

4. Local/global practices and perceptions of civic/citizen journalism.

5. Research techniques used by civic/citizen journalism scholars.

In general, address topics that are relevant to current discussions in journalism, politics, technology, democracy, or philosophy. Panels addressing issues of cultural and racial diversity are encouraged.

Your panel proposal should mention the following components in order: Type (i.e., PF&R, Teaching, Research), a tentative title, a possible moderator, the possible panelists (limit to three so we can work on linking with other interest groups and divisions), a brief description of the panel, possible co-sponsors (divisions or interest groups), and contact information. Also provide speaker demographic and funding estimates (see sample proposal).

Selected proposals are compiled into a single document, with proposals from other divisions and interest groups, in order to be considered for cosponsorship and scheduling.

Many will later be revised or expanded as part of the joint planning process.

A sample proposal is available at http://www.has.vcu.edu/civic-journalism/Sample_Panel_Proposal.doc.

Our Fall 2010 newsletter is now online
	It features: 'Panels, research address definitions' Report on our member meeting List of student news provider projects 'As we move into the upcoming year ...' 'Research in CCJIG: Where do we go next?'

Miss an issue of the CCJIG newsletter? You'll find them all in our newsletter archive.

Our Fall 2009 newsletter is now online
	It features: Bring crowdsourcing to the classroom Member meeting covers various items J-Lab lunch features tales of news cooperation Regionals offer venue for research Public journalism and the health debate

Miss an issue of the CCJIG newsletter? You'll find them all in our newsletter archive.

CCJIG invites proposals for 2010 Convention

7 September 2009

The Civic & Citizen Journalism Interest Group (CCJIG) invites proposals for engaging panels for the 2010 AEJMC convention in Denver.

Please email your panel proposal to Co-Vice Chair Deborah Chung as a Word attachment by October 15.

Past panels have focused on blogging discourse, credibility of citizen journalism practices, citizen contributions and politics, user collaborative activities, community conversations in hyperlocal media, newsroom projects, practicing civic and citizen journalism in a multicultural environment, and teaching civic and citizen journalism.

Panel proposals for 2010 may address, but are not limited to, the following broad themes:

1. Emerging models and best practices in teaching of civic/citizen journalism

2. Civic/citizen journalism conversations over health care legislation

3. Citizen-sponsored or citizen-involved journalism, particularly focused on environmental, health, and social issues

4. Media convergence and using new tools to facilitate citizen journalism

5. Local/global practices and perceptions of civic/citizen journalism.

In general, address topics that are relevant to current discussions in journalism, politics, technology, democracy, or philosophy. Panels addressing issues of cultural and racial diversity are encouraged.

Your panel proposal should mention the following components in order: Type (i.e., PF&R, Teaching, Research), a tentative title, a possible moderator, the possible panelists (limit to three so we can work on linking with other interest groups and divisions), a brief description of the panel, possible co-sponsors (divisions or interest groups), and contact information. Also provide speaker demographic and funding estimates (see sample proposal).

Selected proposals are compiled into a single document, with proposals from other divisions and interest groups, in order to be considered for co-sponsorship and scheduling. Many will later be revised or expanded as part of the joint planning process.

A sample proposal is available at http://www.has.vcu.edu/civic-journalism/Sample_Panel_Proposal_09.doc.

We look forward to your proposals!

Deborah S. Chung, Ph.D.
dchung@uky.edu
Co-Vice Chair, Civic & Citizen Journalism Interest Group

Minutes of CCJIG's annual business meeting

The CCJIG held its annual business meeting on Aug. 6 during the AEJMC convention in Boston. Initially, we met jointly with the Community Journalism Interest Group -- and then CCJIG members met separately to elect officers for 2009-10 and consider other matters.

Here are the minutes of the meeting.

Our Summer 2009 newsletter is now online
	It features: Credibility, the next great challenge HEALTH CARE REFORM: the press & public engagement Citizen journalism in higher education — A call for sharing information Guide to CCJIG sessions in Boston

Our program for the 2009 Boston convention

I am happy to report that the Civic & Citizen Journalism Interest Group was able accommodate nearly all of the panels proposed for Boston, thanks to vice-chair Mary Beth Callie’s diligence.

The process depends on lining up co-sponsors for panels –– we got some excellent collaborators. CCJIG’s Boston convention program:

a. AEJMC Pre-convention, Tuesday August 4.

i. 1-4 p.m. (updated time!), “Citizen Journalism and Media Literacy in the Mumbai Terrorist Attacks” (CCJIG and COMJIG). This conference/workshop will bring together scholars of media literacy and citizen/community journalism to critically examine the practices and semiotics of south Mumbai’s blogger-reporters during the terrorist strikes of November 27-29, 2008. The goal is to highlight some key critical skills for audiences of citizen journalism to analyze and evaluate citizen messages for bias, accuracy, and fairness in times of crisis, in order to facilitate both an educated citizenry and high quality citizen journalism. Event contact: Nikhil Moro, moro1nm@cmich.edu.

ii. 4-10 p.m (updated time!), “Journalism Jobs in a Digital Age.” This conference will address questions such as: Will journalism students, will journalists, find work in the future, and if so, will it be in traditional forms of journalism or in emerging or altogether new venues? Where precisely will the jobs be? And what skills will our students need? How will they be paid for the work they do? What will the journalism ecosystem be like? What will be the challenges to producing ethically sound, high quality journalism? What instructional adjustments must be made? The conference will be developed by the Robert D. Fowler Distinguished Chair in Communication (currently held by Leonard Witt) and the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. Event contact: Leonard Witt, lwitt@kennesaw.edu.

b. AEJMC Convention, Wednesday August 5.

i. 8.15-9.45 a.m., “Has the Civic/Citizen Movement Brought Journalism Full Circle?” (CCJIG and History). America’s earliest printer-editors, such as Benjamin Harris, James Franklin and Benjamin Franklin, who lived in Boston, were apparently community activists more than they were editors. They were not J-school trained in reporting, pagination, or ethics. But they invariably had a finger on their readers’ pulse, an ear close to their audience's chest. Today, as America’s loftiest legacy media organizations increasingly embrace a YouTubization –– harnessing the collective intelligence of their former audiences –– to keep the news accurate, cheap and exciting, is it an indication that journalism has come full circle from the era of Harris and the Franklins? If yes, in what ways? Those are the questions this research panel will examine. Panel contact: Nikhil Moro, moro1nm@cmich.edu.

ii. 10-11.30 a.m., “Helping Rural Journalists Better Serve Their Communities” (COMJIG and CCJIG). This PFR panel will explore university-based training programs and projects designed to help rural journalists better serve their communities. Several could become prototypes for programs across the country. Panel contact: Elizabeth Hansen, liz.hansen@eku.edu.

iii. 11.45 a.m.-1.15 p.m., “Reinventing Journalism: Anatomy of a One-Year Applied Field Experiment” (CCJIG and COMJIG). This PFR panel will discuss the one-year Representative Journalism field experiment in Northfield, MN, as seen through the lens of Leonard Witt, who conceived the idea, Shayla Tiel-Stern, who observed it as a researcher, Bonnie Obremski, who worked as the journalist/fellow, and Griff Wigley, who participated as a community member. Panel contact: Leonard Witt, lwitt@kennesaw.edu.

iv. 5-6.30 p.m., “Journalists and Law Enforcement: Rights versus Security” (CCJIG and Law & Policy). This research panel will discuss how the tension between law enforcement authorities and the press has significant concerns for the development of both the practical and theoretical development of citizen-focused journalism in the United States. Panel contact: Burton St. John, bsaintjo@odu.edu.

c. AEJMC Convention, Thursday August 6.

i. 8.15-9.45 a.m. Refereed research paper session, with presentations of four or five of the submitted papers accepted after blind review.

ii. 1.30-3 p.m. Scholar-to-Scholar session, with presentations of six to eight of the submitted papers accepted after blind review.

iii. 6.45-8.15 p.m. Joint meeting of CCJIG and COMJIG members until 7.30 p.m., followed by a separate meeting of CCJIG members to elect officers for 2009-10. Finally, all depart for an optional off-site social.

d. AEJMC Convention, Friday August 7.

i. 12.15-1.30 p.m., J-Lab Luncheon Panel on “Civic News Networks: Collaboration vs. Competition?” (CCJIG, CoA, and COMJIG). This PFR panel will explore whether “scoop” is disappearing from the vernacular of newsrooms. As a response to shrinking newsrooms, costly Associated Press fees, and an emerging culture of collaboration and participatory media, regional news organizations around the country are starting to build innovative consortiums for sharing content on a statewide or regular basis. Participants see it as a win-win: Securing additional feet on the street, broader distribution of their content, less “me, too” duplication of reporting. How is the public served? And can the public participate? Panel contact: Jan Schaefer, jans@j-lab.org.

ii. 1.45-3.15 p.m., “Common Health, Commonwealth: Public Understanding, Problem-solving, and Action” (CCJIG and Newspaper). This PFR panel will examine journalistic, nonprofit, and governmental efforts to inform and educate the American public about healthcare reform at the state and national levels. Panelists will focus on coverage of mandated health insurance in Massachusetts, State Children’s Health Insurance Program expansion (SCHIP) in Colorado, and national healthcare reform during the presidential campaign. Panel contact: Mary Beth Callie, mcallie@regis@edu.

iii. 3.30-5 p.m., “The Journalism Academy and the News Media’s Quest for a Digital-Age Business Model: Who Speaks for Ethics and the Public Good?” (CCJIG and Media Ethics). This PFR panel will explore the educational, professional, and ethical challenges of the digital era. Panelists will examine whether the journalism academy, frequently in tandem with other academic disciplines, can and/or should spire to a significant measure of influence on the design, values, goals, priorities, and direction of mainline and alternative media in the digital age. Panel contact: Ed Lambeth, lambethe@missouri.edu.

e. AEJMC Convention, Saturday August 8.

i. 1.30-3 p.m., “World View: International Efforts to Teach Civic and Citizen Journalism” (CCJIG and International Communication; thanks to Community College Journalism Association for the donation of a half-chip!). This teaching panel will explore the theories and skills that are being taught by journalism schools and nonprofit groups, outside the United States, which have launched efforts to teach civic or citizen journalism. Panel contact: Jeff South, jcsouth@vcu.edu.

Boston, here we come!

Nikhil Moro, Ph.D.
Chair, Civic & Citizen Journalism Interest Group.

'Past, Present and Future' of Civic/Citizen Journalism

The web videos of the three incredible panels on "The Past, Present and Future of Civic/Citizen Journalism," held at Columbia College Chicago on Aug. 5, 2008, are online now, for your viewing pleasure. 

These are interesting to watch and would work well in class or as homework, to get discussion going. In brief:

Civic/Public Journalism featuring Jack Rosenberry as moderator, Ed Lambeth, Mark Deuze, Burton St. James and Jay Rosen (see the site for their affiliations, etc.) looks at where Civic Journalism came from and what issues and problems are important today in civic and citizen journalism. Mark Deuze raises questions about disconnect between the conditions of employment of reporters today and the larger ethical and democratic aims of Journalism, among other timely issues.

In the Meet the Press panel, you hear from Adrian Holovaty who is doing journalistic data mining, the publishers of Chicagotalks, a non-profit news website, and beachwoodreporter, a for-profit media critique and media news site, all based in Chicago.

"They Blog for Change" is a great panel for students. The panelists (Jeff Jarvis joins us via conference call) reveal how you have to blog to really understand its benefits, including gaining technical proficiency, becoming an expert, and more. 

Barbara K. Iverson
drbarb on twitter
http://currentbuzz.org
http://chicagotalks.org

ODU's Public Journalism students get published

HamptonRoads.com is publishing stories written by undergraduate students at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va. The stories are generated by a workshop class, called Public Journalism in the Digital Age, taught by CCJIG board member Burton St. John. The class bridges fundamental concepts of journalism with key citizen-focused precepts of the public/civic journalism movement.

The Hampton Roads portal, which hosts the online version of The Virginian-Pilot, has created a section called "Student Voices." In December, it published two stories by St. John's students:

It’s Not Just Studying Anymore: Life in the Navy ROTC
By Krysten Warren

The Quiet Side of Sex
By Ashley Jarvis

Here are other stories that have emerged from the Public Journalism in the Digital Age course.

The class provides students tools and guidance so that they can identify a civic issue, seek out both official and citizen voices and then compose a story.

Our Winter 2008 newsletter is now online
	It features: 'Help redefine our focus' 'Haas book now available' 'Convention ’08 brings 8 sessions' 'Annual conference in DC sizzled' 'Ph.D. program has public focus'

CCJIG Paper Call for 2008

The Civic and Citizen Journalism Interest Group invites research paper submissions for the 2008 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication convention to be held in Chicago, IL from Aug. 6 to 9, 2008.

Papers must be submitted in accordance with all requirements of AEJMC and its uniform paper call and electronic submission process. Further information is available at: http://www.aejmc.org/_events/convention/papercall/index.php. The deadline for submission is 11:59 p.m. CDT April 1, 2008.

Suggested paper topics include: citizen media, blogging, civic mapping, community conversations, newsroom projects, legal and ethical issues in civic or citizen journalism, using polls, focus groups and other methods in civic reporting, civic and citizen journalism in a multicultural environment, civic and citizen journalism and new technologies, history/philosophy of civic journalism, the changing newspaper industry economy and its effect on the development of the citizen journalism movement, the missions and meanings of "civic journalism" and "citizen journalism," and teaching civic and citizen journalism.

Please direct any questions to Research Co-Chairs Sue Ellen Christian (sueellen.christian@wmich.edu) or Burton St. John (bsaintjo@odu.edu).

Help redefine our focus

By Jack Rosenberry
CCJIG Chair

An old adage says the only constant in life is change. As educators, we embrace this because we want students to change through our contact with them. If a student isn't different at the end of a course - with new knowledge, skills or understanding - we haven't succeeded.

But a fundamental element of life is the tension between change and identity. Many readers of this column made a change in their professional identity when they stopped answering the question "What do you do?" by saying "I'm a journalist" and started saying "I'm a college teacher." ...

> Read more in our Winter 2008 newsletter.

Convention '08 brings 8 sessions

By Jack Rosenberry
CCJIG Chair

Of the nine convention panel ideas proposed for the 2008 convention in Chicago, we managed to get eight on the schedule.

Two were shifted into a pre-convention event, and six (including a mini-plenary proposed by a CCJIG member but put forward by newspaper) became a part of the general convention programming from Wednesday through Friday.

CCJIG is the lead sponsor on four of these six, and co-sponsor of the mini-plen and one other panel.

In scheduling, we also were able to schedule all of our research on the same day -- Thursday, Aug. 7. Here, then, are the sessions in which CCJIG will be involved: ...

> Read more in our Winter 2008 newsletter.

Annual conference in DC sizzled

By Andrea Breemer Frantz
Outgoing CCJIG chair

I've now learned that I need to rest up before I go to the August AEJMC conference.

There are simply too many excit- ing panels, papers, and extras offered in the program annually that require me to rise early and finish long after the sun has set.

This year's conference in Washington, D.C., was no exception. Held during possibly the hottest week of the year in the city, ideas, best practices, and research innovations were also sizzling Aug. 9-12, 2007. " ...

> Read more in our Winter 2008 newsletter.

Crowdsourcing: Where civic, citizen journalism meet

By Jeff South
CCJIG PF&R Chair & Web editor

As our group's Professional Freedom and Responsibility (PF&R) chair, I look for examples of civic and citizen journalism in the news media. These days, I don't have to look far. I often see civic journalism (engaging citizens in community affairs) and cit- izen journalism (tapping the audience as information providers) intersect in a single word: crowdsourcing. ...

> Read more in our Winter 2008 newsletter.

Our Winter 2007 newsletter is now online
	It features: Cole Campbell, visionary, remembered CCJIG's review by Council of Divisions Leaders reflect on CCJIG role 'Student's stunt offers teachable moment' Call for Papers -- 2007 Convention

Cole Campbell remembered

Crash takes life of civic journalism's innovative thinker

CCJIG stalwart Cole Campbell died Jan. 5 when the vehicle he was driving overturned on an icy road while he was on his way to work at the University of Nevada Reno. He was 53.

A native of Roanoke, Va., he was a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who began his newspaper career in North Carolina. He joined The Virginian-Pilot newspaper in Norfolk, Va., in 1990.

Cole became known as a proponent of civic or public journalism during his work as the top editor of The Virginian-Pilot …

> Read more in our Winter 2007 newsletter.

CCJIG undergoes Council of Divisions review

By Andrea Breemer Frantz
CCJIG Chair

At the AEJMC annual conference in San Francisco last August, Council of Divisions representatives offered a comprehensive review of the Civic and Citizen Journalism Interest Group (CCJIG).

Council of Divisions Chair Jan Slater led the meeting along with representatives of the PF&R, Research, and Teaching Standards committees. Jeff South, 2005-06 CCJIG Chair, and Andrea Frantz, 2005-06 Vice Chair, represented CCJIG.

In its evaluation of the interest group, the COD representatives highlighted CCJIG's strengths and weaknesses and challenged the membership to collectively shape its future agenda on a number of fronts. …

> Read more in our Winter 2007 newsletter.

Student's stunt offers teachable moment

By Glenn Scott
CCJIG Teaching Chair

When Ben, a senior in my reporting course, pulled out his mobile telephone during class, I was too busy to notice. With just a few weeks left in the fall semester, I was trying to lead the class into the shifting digital realities of American journalism.

We had practiced using various story structures, studied how courts systems operate, and engulfed every implication we could wring from news of the changing fortunes of corporate newspaper owners. But we had more to do. Now we were going where we should have been sooner in the semester, hopping through Web sites from Technorati to Poynter Online's EMedia Tidbits to Mindy McAdams' blog on Teaching Online Journalism. …

> Read more in our Winter 2007 newsletter.

CCJIG invites panel proposals for 2008 AEJMC

The Civic and Citizen Journalism Interest Group (CCJIG) invites panel proposals for the 2008 AEJMC conference in Chicago. We need your input to create another meaningful and engaging lineup.

Panel proposals should be sent to Co-Vice Chair Mary Beth Callie via email word attachment, at mcallie@regis.edu by October 15.

In the past, CCJIG panels have focused on: citizen media, blogging, civic mapping, community conversations, newsroom projects, legal and ethical issues in civic or citizen journalism, using polls, focus groups and other methods in civic reporting; civic and citizen journalism in a multicultural environment, civic and citizen journalism and new technologies, history/philosophy of civic journalism, and teaching civic and citizen journalism.

Some general directions that emerged from the 2007 conference include:

(1) Defining "civic journalism" and "citizen journalism"--meanings and missions

(2) Evaluating the state and parameters of the field

(3) Teaching civic and citizen journalism

(4) How the changing economics of the newspaper industry are playing a role in development of the citizen journalism movement

I hope that the above ideas will stimulate your thinking. Panel proposals should consist of the following:

Type (i.e., PF&R, Teaching, Research)

Tentative Title

Possible Moderator

Possible Panelists (limit to three so we can work on linking with other interest groups and divisions)

Brief Description

Possible Panel Co-sponsors (divisions or interest groups)

Please follow this format as closely as possible. Consistency is important as proposals will be compiled into a document with those from other divisions and interest groups for programming consideration. Be aware that most panel proposals are revised or expanded to include presenters from another division or interest group. Look for timely topics, and try to keep your pitch relatively general and adaptable.

An example of a previous proposal is available at http://www.has.vcu.edu/civic-journalism/Sample_Panel_Proposal.doc. (Note that this will take you to a download of a Word document.)

Thanks for your time and consideration. I look forward to receiving your proposals.

Sincerely,

Mary Beth Callie, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Communication
Regis University, Denver

Public Journalism in the Digital Age @ ODU

Undergraduate students at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., have been taking part in a new class that bridges fundamental concepts of journalism with key citizen-focused precepts of the public/civic journalism movement.

This workshop class, called Public Journalism in the Digital Age, taught by CCJIG board member Burton St. John, provides students tools and guidance so that they can identify a civic issue, seek out both official and citizen voices and then compose a story. Though focused on community, the stories provide insight on how citizens see larger issues like mass transportation, the military backdoor draft and costs of college tuition.

Here are the stories:

Deployment: A Different Outlook
By Bhanu Sehgal and Janae King

Commuting with HRT - Why Can't More of Us Get On Board?
By Lisa Erdeljon

The Tyranny of Tuition
By MaCall Underwood and Kai Payne

Presence of Mentoring Norfolk's Youth
By Charron Eanes and Lamin Mansaray

Guide to CCJIG program at DC convention

> Read more in our Summer 2007 newsletter.

CCJIG puts focus on future

Conference activities, programming look at where field is headed

By Andrea Breemer Frantz
CCJIG Chair

From defining and launching "the next newsroom" to examining "new journalism, new passion and new globalism," the Civic and Citizen Journalism Interest Group programming for AEJMC’s Washington D.C. conference in August is largely focused on carving out the future of the field. Indeed, even AEJMC’s opening reception, which will allow members
their first glimpse of the Newseum, underscores the excitement for the future of journalism in all of its manifestations. ...

> Read more in our Summer 2007 newsletter.

Wilkes-Barre paper profiles Breemer Frantz

The following story, about CCJIG Chair Andrea Breemer Frantz, was published on May 16, 2005, in the Times Leader of Wilkes-Barre, Pa. It is reprinted here with permission.

WILKES-BARRE - If reading this article about Andrea Breemer Frantz - a local college journalism professor - inspires, gladdens, maddens or otherwise stirs an emotion in you, don't flip to another page.

Instead, call this newspaper.

Or, better yet, spit out an opinion page letter.

Frantz would love that. After all - as she constantly reminds her Wilkes University students - people who share a community (a campus or an entire county) are obligated to stay informed about it, identify its problems, voice objections, pose solutions and, yes, pitch in to make things better. At least, they should.

But too often, she says, they don't.

"We've become complacent about how we receive our news," says Frantz, an Iowa transplant who has been subtly influencing parts of campus and the Wyoming Valley since 1998.

> Read more in our Spring 2006 newsletter.

12 panels proposed for '07 convention in D.C.

Dear CCJIG members:

A big thanks to those who submitted joint panel sessions -- I sent all the 12 proposals to AEJ last evening.

We have six teaching proposals, five PF&R proposals, and one research proposal.

Because we have three chips, only six of the proposals will be selected -- I guess we should strive for some kinda balance between teaching, PF&R and research.

Over the next few days, CCJIC president Andrea Frantz and I will try to negotiate collaborations with other divisions and interest groups -- so we have less work to do at the December AEJ chip auction. Submitters are welcome to share any new ideas about possible collaborations.

Best,
Nikhil Moro
Vice-chair, Civic & Citizen Journalism Interest Group
Posted 10/24/06

Fusion of Public & Participatory Journalism

Here is a report from the conference "Exploring the Fusion Power of Public and Participatory Journalism," held on Aug. 3, 2004, in Toronto.

The 29-page report is titled "What We Heard, What We Learned: Exploring the Fusion Power of Public and Participatory Journalism." Note before downloading: It is a 9-megabyte PDF.

The report includes transcripts of remarks by such speakers as:

• Anne P. Kothawala, president and CEO, Canadian Newspaper Association

• Leonard Witt, Robert D. Fowler Distinguished Chair in Communication at Kennesaw State University

• Dan Gillmor, former San Jose Mercury News technology columnist and author of We the Media: Grassroots Journalism by the People, for the People

• Warren Kinsella, a Toronto-based lawyer, consultant and author of Kicking Ass in Canadian Politics

• Jay Rosen, chair of the New York University journalism department and a founder of the public journalism movement

• Jan Schaffer, executive director of the J-Lab at the University of Maryland

• Jeff Jarvis, president and creative director of Advance.net

• Lewis Friedland, a professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Neil Heinen, editorial director, WISC TV, Wisconsin

• Mary Lou Fulton, publisher of The Northwest Voice, in Bakersfield, Calif.

The special report was edited by Leonard Witt and Les Anderson, an associate professor of communication at Wichita State University. The editorial assistant was Kelley Frank, a master's student at Kennesaw State University.

Going to the AEJMC convention? Take this!

Here is a "Convention Special Issue" of our newsletter, with a complete lineup of all CCJIG activities in San Francisco on Aug. 3-5. The four-page special edition, edited by Jack Rosenberry, repackages content from previous newsletter issues. It will make an excellent convention guide -- and a recruitment tool for our group.

Our Summer 2006 newsletter is now online
	It features: 'Citizen media, j-schools go hand-in-hand' 'The 411 on Skype: free long-distance calls' ''J-Lab lunch will spotlight j-school ventures' 'Open-source journalism and college media' 'Member meeting has many benefits'

If you click on the link above, the newsletter will open as an Adobe Acrobat document in a new browser window.

Miss an issue of the CCJIG newsletter? Browse the newsletter archive.

CCJIG guide to 2006 AEJMC convention

By Jeff South

Going to San Francisco for AEJMC's 89th Annual Convention? If so, here is a list of CCJIG events that you should enter on your calendar.

Can't make it to this year's convention? This issue of our newsletter shows what you're missing - and why you should make plans to attend next year, when AEJMC meets in Washington, D.C.

The 2006 convention will be held Aug. 2-5 at the Marriott San Francisco. CCJIG is sponsoring or co-sponsoring nearly a dozen events - a veritable "CJ-palooza." Here is a complete lineup of our interest group's activities, including panelists. ...

> Read more in our Summer 2006 newsletter.

Mark your calendar: Members' Meeting on Aug. 3

By Andrea Breemer Frantz

I attended my first AEJMC conference just three years ago.

Many useful things came out of that first conference for me. I attended some outstanding sessions that made me think in new ways. I connected with professionals from other parts of the country who shared my interests about civic engagement and community journalism.

But probably the most important thing to come out of my first AEJMC conference happened when I walked into the Civic Journalism Interest Group Members' Meeting.

What I found there was a group of people deeply committed to addressing civic journalism as it pertained to the classroom, practice, and research. The conversation was lively, and those in attendance were genuinely interested in connecting with others to address important issues in the field.

The community into which I assimilated that evening - now called the Civic and Citizen Journalism Interest Group - has helped shape much of what I do in the classroom and offered focus and grounding to my research.

While it's easy to only think of the interest groups and divisions when we fill out our membership renewals or receive the newsletters, active participation in the interest groups begins with the members' meetings at AEJMC. Not only is it an opportunity to meet folks whose names you might otherwise only know from listserv e-mails, but it is also a chance to shape the organization's direction.

The CCJIG will hold its annual Members' Meeting on Thursday, Aug. 3, from 8:30-10 p.m. in the Laurel Room (4th Floor) at the conference hotel, the San Francisco Marriott.

Whether you are new to AEJMC and want to learn more about CCJIG, or you're new to CCJIG and want to meet some new colleagues and offer input, or you're a seasoned veteran and just need a shot of adrenaline … this meeting is for you.

J-Lab luncheon will spotlight j-school ventures

Hear how journalism schools are launching hyperlocal community news projects as training grounds for both students and local residents.

The projects will be the topic of discussion when J-Lab: The Institute for Interactive Journalism hosts a luncheon at the AEJMC convention in San Francisco. The luncheon, co-sponsored by the CCJIG and the Council of Affiliates, will begin at 11:45 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 4.

Panelists include:

• Lew Friedland, professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and founder of MadisonCommons.org

• Jeremy Iggers, founder of TCDailyPlanet.org

• Dave Poulson, associate director of the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism and project leader for the Great Lakes Wiki

• Keith Graham, associate professor at the University of Montana and leader of the Rural News Network.

Jan Schaffer, director of J-Lab, will moderate.

To register for the luncheon, visit http://www.j-lab.org/AEJMC06reg.shtml

Read all about it -- in our latest newsletter
	Our Spring 2006 newsletter is now online. It features: 'Interest group gets new name' 'Diverse set of programs set for Frisco' ''Wake Up Call report available' 'Nieman spotlights participatory journalism' 'New Voices recipients named'

If you click on the link above, the newsletter will open as an Adobe Acrobat document in a new browser window.

Miss an issue of the CJIG newsletter? Browse the newsletter archive.

Diverse set of programs set for 'Frisco

By Andrea Breemer Frantz

The historic city of Savannah, Ga., served as the backdrop for the 2005 mid-winter chips auction for division and interest group heads and program chairs early in December. The auction determined who would sponsor what, and when, at the 2006 AEJMC Convention to be held in early August in San Francisco.

For me, the learning curve was high, as it was my first expe- rience dividing chips and lobby- ing for co-sponsorships. One important realization I came to is that I will never pitch for the New York Yankees: The chip I tossed fell embarrassingly short of the bowl.

Because CCJIG went into the meeting with 14 proposed panels and the standard limits on avail- able chips, the challenge was to ensure as much diversity in our offerings as possible. The resulting co-sponsorship agreements reflect that diversity and promise a full and interesting slate for AEJMC 2006. The CCJIG program will offer the following …

> Read more in our Spring 2006 newsletter.

Propose a panel for the AEJMC 2006 convention

Greetings CJIG members! I hope you were all able to make it to San Antonio and found the conference stimulating. It was great to see such good research and so many interesting panels under the CJIG banner.

Believe it or not, even though the dust has barely settled from San Antonio, it's already time to begin talking about panel proposals for San Francisco 2006.

As Vice Chair, I need to forward CJIG's panel proposals to AEJMC by November 1. Therefore, I need to have all panels as finalized as you can make them and submitted to me no later than October 15.

To send out an idea, you just send it to civic-j@lists.vcu.edu or you can reply to me and I can forward things on.

Some general ideas that emerged from the 2005 conference included questions such as:

1) Who is the next generation of agenda setters for civic & citizen journalism?

2) What kinds of academic support do the traditionally under represented need to initiate citizen journalism projects?

3) What legal challenges might citizen journalist initiatives face?

4) How is the issue of credibility changing the face of journalism and what are the implications for civic, citizen, and student journalists?

These might just be a jumping off point for discussion. We all saw different panels this year and undoubtedly also saw the holes that need to be filled for 2006. Conversation via the listserv will help us to shape the best possible panels, I think.

Here is a sample panel proposal that will help with structure/content when it comes time for all of us to shape the actual proposals. The content for the proposals should include the following:

• Type (i.e., PF&R, Teaching, Research)

• Tentative Title

• Possible Moderator

• Possible Panelists (limit to three so we can work on linking with other interest groups and divisions)

• Brief Description

• Possible Panel Co-sponsors (divisions or interest groups)

Thanks in advance for your response. Looking forward to seeing what we come up with.

Best,

Andrea Frantz, CJIG Vice Head
Assistant Professor of Communication Studies
305 Capin Hall
Department of Communication Studies
Wilkes University
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766

Call for papers for 2006 AEJMC Convention

The Civic and Citizen Journalism Interest Group invites you to submit papers for the August 2006 AEJMC Convention in San Francisco, CA.

Submissions may address any aspect of civic journalism, including but not limited to:

• participatory journalism;
• citizen media;
• we media;
• blogging;
• civic mapping;
• community conversations;
• newsroom projects;
• using polls, focus groups and other methods in civic reporting;
• civic journalism in a multicultural environment;
• civic journalism and new technologies;
• history/philosophy of civic journalism;
• and teaching civic and citizen journalism

Papers should be submitted according to the AEJMC Uniform Paper Call to:

Sandy Nichols
Towson University
Dept. of Mass Communication and Communication Studies
8000 York Road
Towson, MD 21252-001

Questions should be directed to Andrea Breemer Frantz at (570) 408-4165 or andrea.frantza@wilkes.edu.

Paper abstracts from 2005 convention

Minutes of the CJIG's Aug. 11 business meeting

The Civic Journalism Interest Group held its annual business meeting at the AEJMC convention in San Antonio on Aug. 11, 2005. Here are the minutes.

Members vote 26-11 to approve a new name:
the Civic and Citizen Journalism Interest Group

Here are the results of the vote on the proposal to change the name of the Civic Journalism Interest Group to the Civic and Citizen Journalism Interest Group.

Thirty-seven votes were cast by the Sept. 21 deadline.

There were 26 "yes" votes (70.3%) and 11 "no" votes (29.7%).

I will notify AEJMC that the proposal passed. The new name will take effect on Oct. 1.

Thanks to Len Witt and Cori Marguriet for setting up the online voting system and to Andrea Frantz for putting out the call for the discussion and election.

Jeff South
CJIG -- er, CJJIG -- chair ;)

[Here's background on the issue.]

Vote on our proposed name change by Sept. 21

To: All CJIG Members
Date: August 20, 2005
RE: Call for discussion and ballot

At its annual business and members meeting in San Antonio, members of the Civic Journalism Interest Group in attendance discussed the possibility of changing the name of the interest group to reflect its broadening base of research and teaching interests to incorporate "citizen journalism."

The proposal was to change the name from:

Civic Journalism Interest Group

to:

Civic and Citizen Journalism Interest Group

Members discussed the fact that the addition of "citizen" more accurately reflected the evolving field to better incorporate individual reporting issues and initiatives. Many of the questions raised by recent research involve how we define the role of journalists today-who is considered a journalist? What sort of training does one need to be a "citizen journalist?" What are the issues of credibility associated with such particularization and localization of reporting that results from new means of delivery? The direct connection between active civic engagement and citizen groups or individuals seemed a logical one for the members present at the meeting

Those present voted unanimously to approve the proposal and put the vote and discussion to the rest of the membership.

Thus, an e-ballot has been created and can be accessed at:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=503761287415

Member discussion about this proposal can take place via the listserv.
In order to discuss the issue, all members are encouraged to send comments to: civic-j@lists.vcu.edu

We urge discussion for at least a week prior to voting; however, members may vote at any point and do so anonymously using the surveymonkey system. Voting will be closed September 21, 2005 in order to report in a timely fashion to AEJMC headquarters.

Thank you for your attention to this important issue.

Best,
Andrea Frantz, CJIG Vice Head

Professor Wagner's class gets $20,000 grant

Thanks to the work of Venise Wagner, assistant professor of journalism at San Francisco State University, and her public journalism class, SFSU was given a $20,000 Annie E. Casey Foundation grant. An SFSU press release says:

The most ethnically diverse neighborhood in the country -- the Lower San Antonio district in Oakland, according to the 1990 Census -- will soon have a special magazine focused on the people, places and issues of its community, with all the articles and photographs by SFSU students.

Wagner is an active member of the Civic Journalism Interest Group in the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

Originally posted on Feb. 13, 2005, at PJNet.org

Blogs: a useful journalism teaching tool?

Kim E. Pearson, professor at The College of New Jersey, has built a poster web page that seeks to answer the question:

Is "Weblogging" a Useful Way for Student Journalists to Improve Beat Reporting Skills?

She says in an email: "Please note that the blogging poster is very much a work in progress. I have a lot of updating to do with it yet. I'm very interested in feedback. I should mention, also, that the blogging on the beat project was conducted under the aegis of the Visible Knowledge Project."

The "poster page" structure is very interesting and appears to have a great potential as a teaching tool and a way of exchanging information on any topic. Thanks, Kim.

-- Leonard Witt

Resources for using blogs in the classroom

After attending the AEJMC convention recently in Toronto, it is clear to me that more and more professors are interested in how to effectively use blogs in their classrooms.

Here are two educationally related blogs that have running commentary on what's new, what's useful and what is experimental. Both are worth a visit:

1. Weblogg-ed

2. Weblogs in Higher Education

-- Leonard Witt

Public Journalism Educators Subcommittee

The Public Journalism Education Subcommittee held its first meeting at the AEJMC convention. Discussion focused on three themes:

• Movement terms and identifiers

• Key challenges for journalism educators interested in public/participatory strategies

• Research agenda and proposals for AEJMC panels in 2005-06

Here is the full report on the subcommittee's meeting.

University of Kentucky launches The Rural Blog

Here is an email from the University of Kentucky:

I'm hoping you'll be willing to help spread the word on a new blog we have going at the University of Kentucky at our Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues.

The first blog installment was posted on the Rural Journalism website earlier this week, and we're trying to make sure that educators and journalists with an interest in this area know about it.

Here are couple of examples of topics that The Rural Blog has blogged already:

• The map of poverty: The rural South has the highest and most persistent rates of poverty, according to a new report from the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

• Small-town media play a big role in the presidential campaign, as candidates make well-publicized stops and grant interviews in non-metro markets in the battleground states.

PJNet.org launches Innovations in Teaching

The Public Journalism Network's just launched Innovations in Teaching, an occasional series where professors with innovative teaching ideas highlighting public journalism, citizens media, weblogs or other related aspects of journalism will be showcased at the website.

An innovative class taught by Andrea Frantz, communication professor at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA, was the catalyst for launching Innovations in Teaching.

Are you teaching an innovative course that touches on public journalism, citizens media, blogging or journalism in general? Want to share your ideas with a larger. worldwide audience of journalists, students and teachers? The PJNet's Innovation in Teaching is the place to showcase it. Just contact Leonard Witt at Lwitt@kennesaw.edu.

Academics discuss 'how blogs fit into theories'

A good selection of academics at Online Journalism Review talk about why they are researching or at least thinking about the blogging phenomena.

Here is a quote from Kaye Trammell, assistant professor at LSU Manship School of Mass Communication:

We are on the cusp of an exciting time where the theoretical research of blogs will begin to emerge. Now that we have explained blogs and understand them, we can start to make predictions and see how blogs fit into theories and compare to other ways of communicating.

New Dean Campbell: 'Fix local news or die!'

"Fix local news or die!" is one axiom that Cole Campbell, newly named dean of the journalism school at the University of Nevada, Reno, talks about in this special Leonard Witt IM Interview.

Campbell most recently has been a fellow at the Kettering Foundation and prior to that was editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va.

For complete interview see:

http://pjnet.org/weblogs/pjnettoday/archives/000209.html

Get published at the PJNet Web site

The Public Journalism Network (PJNet) is looking for materials that will inform journalism scholars and practitioners.

Worthy items will be posted. The process can happen almost immediately for timely insights or for referrals to interesting links. There is also room for longer essays and for shorter calendar type items. Really anything that will advance the journalism performance or scholarship can be worked into the site. That includes reviews of recently published or soon to be published books that would interest public journalists or scholars.

Items can be sent to Leonard Witt at Lwitt@kennesaw.edu.

Of course, if you want to be an active participant in improving the daily and long-term development of the site, your help is welcome. Again contact, Witt.

To keep current in the world of public journalism also sign up for the PJNet newsletter at www.pjnet.org.

Paper abstracts from 2003 convention