[MGP-Forum Announce] Representative Journalism test / Northfield, Minn. / reporter sought

[Bill Densmore]

MGP/JTM alums:

I'm helping with an experiment in Northfield, Minn., with a working title of 
"Representative Journalism." The goal: See if we can create a system for 
helping fund local or topical newsgathering so compelling and useful that users 
will help pay for it directly.

Kennesaw State University's Len Witt, with a little bit of help from Chris Peck and me, and a lot of help upcoming on the ground in Northfield, Minn., from a citizen team led by Griff Wigley, has just obtained a $51,000 grant to start to work on this problem.

HERE'S A LINK TO KENNESAW'S PRESS RELEASE:
http://acsdevl.kennesaw.edu/access/newsreleases2.asp?dt=910

For now, we are calling the concept, "representative journalism" (but realize that's not nearly perfect or catchy).

The idea is to create a collaborative (maybe profit, maybe nonprofit)  infrastructure to which social-networks-in-formation like the Lakewood High School community could turn. The RepJ mothership will provide technical, business, fund-raising, financing, marketing, advertising and ethical guidance to the local RepJ organization so that it can hire one or more reporters to cover the local affinity group's issue or passion. It could be geographic like a high school or topical like "the environment."

Importantly, we envision the community's journalist reporting to (as in employment) an experienced editor either on a direct or dotted-line basis. We see this as providing the assurance that the work the reporter does conforms to journalistic ethics and principles -- and provides the reporter with cover from being manipulated, as a PR person might be, by the affinity group that actually pays his/her salary or free-lance fees.

There are many issues with this experiment -- some ethical, some practical. The biggest is whether communities will be willing to sustain the cost of semi-pro journalism to cover the passions which bind them. We don't even have a website yet but will be in Minnesota for several days next month working on the details. Len is really the spokesman for this effort.

http://locallygrownnorthfield.org/archives/3116/

We're now lookiing for a reporter to help seed and document this experiment. The job's in Northfield, and it's only guaranteed to be part-time and temporary. So it might not be worth moving for most applicants. But for the right starter-level person viewing this as a feet-in-the-door opportunity, it could be perfect. And we hope to be filling such positions elsewhere around the nation, too, so would like to start a flow of resumes. Here's the posting:

"We are looking for an entrepreneurial journalist with experience both as a reporter (daily, weekly, or monthly publication) and with the online world (e.g., blogging, message boards, discussion lists, etc.). A willingness to engage with citizens (online and F2F) before, during and after publication of a story is mandatory. Knowledge of Northfield is helpful but not required.

"The journalist's stories will appear on Locally Grown, a two-year old blog and podcast about Northfield civic issues, with a large participatory following of area citizens and community leaders. The journalist will report directly to one of the nation.s most respected editors with a long distinguished career in journalism. See this Locally Grown blog post for more information.

"This trial project will last approximately four months, but if successful could develop into a long-term job. For now this is a half-time, temporary position.

"Email a letter of interest, resume, clips and references to Leonard Witt, lwitt at kennesaw.edu. Our team will be in Northfield and the Twin Cities on March 14-16 to talk with potential job candidates, so a prompt reply will be appreciated."

-- bill densmore
    413-4588-8001
    densmore at newshare.com
    williamstown, mass.