tangentialism

When bloggers-slash-citizen-journalists cannot protect their sources and popular, respected local news sites like Gothamist cannot obtain credentials, it bears remembering that while, as Jay Rosen says, "Bloggers vs. Journalists is Over", neither governments nor corporations really see it that way. Maybe it's the objectivity/fairness thing, but maybe it's also the format. I met the lead technology guy from NowPublic at last week's NYC Photobloggers meetup, and I lost his card (if you're reading this, technology guy, email me). He immediately threw down the "citizen journalism" gauntlet and mentioned a photojournalism contest; I reminded myself to look at it later.

It wasn't until this afternoon, when I saw three helicopters over my neighborhood, that I thought about the site again. Since they were news helicopters, I hopped on my bike and rode out to see what they were looking at. When I arrived, I learned that a building had collapsed, trapping several construction workers and attracting a huge crowd. I shot a few photos, came home, and posted this story on NowPublic. My verdict: It's a very interesting site, and still needs a lot of fine-tuning. But the pitch is great; finally, a citizen journalism site that allows members to assign stories, shoot footage, write and edit coverage--a miniaturized news network, with all the roles represented. I used to be all about Indymedia, and they've had a few good moments of coverage (and an inevitable run-in with the FBI), but Indy suffers from a dearth of editing and filtering that results in a surplus of stories I either don't trust or can't decipher. I hope that NowPublic doesn't suffer the same fate, but I believe they can make an impact in the journalism scene, if they get the attention.

Give the site a look over, maybe sign up for a membership (it's free, of course), and comment on the site and the stories, as I have. Projects like this need support, for the sake of everybody who wants their small voice respected by the public they love.