[MGP-Forum Announce] NEWS: New Pamphleteers/New Reporters, June 4-5, Minneapolis; $10K for women news entrepreneurs

[Bill Densmore]

Approximately monthly news for alumni of Media Giraffe Project / Journalism 
That Matters gatherings, and for "giraffe prospects." Send your news and 
updates to: mediagiraffe at journ.umass.edu 
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IN THIS EDITION:

-- A PASSION FOR PLACE: A gathering, and organization, for news "placebloggers"
-- $10K FOR NEWS INNOVATION: McCormick Tribune underwrites innovation by women
-- REPRESENTATIVE JOURNALISM: JTM/MGP helps with $51K experiment
-- VIDEO: Ideas for bringing multimedia into the newsroom

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A passion for place: a gathering, and organization, for news "placebloggers"
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The Journalism that Matters collaborative, the Media Giraffe Project (MGP) and 
the Minnesota Journalism Center are pleased to announce opening of registration 
for: "New Pamphleteers/New Reporters: Convening entrepreneurs who combine 
journalism, democracy, place and blogs" June 4-5, 2008 at McNamara Alumni 
Center, Univ. of Minnesota / Minneapolis, Minn.

"New Pamphleteers/New Reporters" is one of the first national gatherings for 
local, online citizen journalists and entrepreneurs, sometimes called 
"placebloggers." It's designed for existing and prospective journalists and 
entrepreneurs. Included will be workshops on the legal, business, journalistic, 
marketing, advertising and social aspects of starting and running a local 
online news and commerce community.

"We'll also consider establishing the American Society of News and Community 
Forums," says Bill Densmore, MGP director and event co-convenor.

Do you have a passion for place? Learn how to launch your own local online news 
and community resource by attending and participating in: "New Pamphleteers/New 
Reporters." Learn from experts the business, marketing, legal, advertising, 
journalistic, technical and fund-raising skills needed to approach success. A 
participatory, roundtable event for approximately 100 people.

The agenda will be a mix of practical workshops on specific best practices and 
open, circle-round discussions. There will be ample opportunity for networking, 
planning and collaboration. For updated program, presenter and for logistical 
information consult the website:

PLEASE FORWARD THESE LINKS:

BLOG POST:
http://newshare.typepad.com/mgp2006/2008/03/announcing-new.html
DETAILS:
http://www.mediagiraffe.org/wiki/index.php/Jtm-mn
REGISTER:
https://www.123signup.com/event?id=tzfmb

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$10K FOR NEWS INNOVATION: McCormick Tribune underwrites innovation by women
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MGP2006/JTM alumna Jan Schaffer sends along email about the McCormick Tribune 
New Media Women Entreneurs (NMWE) initiative -- competitive grants to spur new 
ideas in the world of news and information. Winners will be given $10,000 in 
funding to launch their ideas and blog about the process over the next year, 
Schaffer says. The deadline for proposals is May 1, 2008. Schaffer, who heads 
J-Lab at UM-College Park, says its "part of a unique initiative to address 
issues of opportunity and innovation, recruitment and retention for women in 
journalism." MORE:
http://newshare.typepad.com/mgp2006/2008/03/j-lab-offers-10.html

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REPRESENTATIVE JOURNALISM: JTM/MGP helps with $51K experiment
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MGP alum and JTM collaborator Len Witt, who teaches journalism at Kennesaw 
State University just north of Atlanta, has kicked off an experiment in 
Northfield, Minn., dubbed -- for now -- "representative journalism," or "RepJ." 
The goal: Test a system for web-based local or topical newsgathering so 
compelling and useful that users will help pay for it directly. Witt's initial 
musings on the topic garnered a $51,0000 grant from the Harnisch Family 
Foundation, and the project got underway last week in Northfield.

"The Harnisch Family Foundation is delighted to provide the financial resources 
needed for the first test of this concept," foundation director Ruth Ann 
Harnisch said. "Len's idea has the potential to revolutionize the practice of 
journalism. especially as American journalism struggles with the loss of its 
advertising support base." MORE: 
http://newshare.typepad.com/newshare/2008/03/representative.html

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VIDEO: Ideas for bringing multimedia into the newsroom
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Are you looking for ideas for your multimedia newsroom efforts? The New England 
News Forum is pleased to announce the availability for download or streaming of 
the 90-minute training and informational video: "Rebooting Your Newsroom: 
Adding blogs, podcasts, citizens and the web."

The video is an edited version of the workshop of the same name presented by 
the news forum at the New England Press Association annual convention on 
Saturday, Feb. 9, 2008, in Boston. It is available for free, 
educational/training use on the web. A high-resolution DVD may be ordered for 
$30.00 duplication/handling costs by sending an email request to 
densmore at mediagiraffe.org . . . .

To launch the streaming video, point your browser to:
http://www.archive.org/details/NEPABOSTON2008

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Bill Densmore, director/editor
The Media Giraffe Project Journalism Program / 108 Bartlett Hall Univ. of 
Massachusetts Amherst MA 01003 OFF: 413-577-4370 / CELL: 413-458-8001
densmore at journ.umass.edu

A conceptual mashup for journalists and technologists:
http://www.NewsTools2008.org / April 30-May 3 / Silicon Valley