media Archives - Author JD Lasica

20 years ago, a new era of media was born

Ourmedia.org helped usher in an age of grassroots media … and all that followed Where were you 20 years ago? For some of us techies, we were just at the doorstep of Web 2.0. And, in fact, it was 20 years ago today that a major milestone was achieved – one that you likely won’t read about anywhere else. On March 21, 2005, my partner Marc Canter and I launched Ourmedia.org. The site billed itself as an open media platform for grassroots creators, ranging from video producers to musicians to citizen journalists. Its most lasting legacy, however, is that it was the world’s first free video hosting service. It wasn’t until May 2005 that YouTube launched its private beta. (Yes, kids,

How Mother Jones is embracing social media

If you know Mother Jones, you probably think of them as primarily a print magazine. “That’s not really true anymore,” says Steve Katz in this 10-minute interview. Katz talks about Mothers Jones’ embrace of Facebook and Twitter and use of those social media platforms to extend their reach and generate new stories.

Accuracy tip sheet

How to emulate the practices of professional journalists As more individuals practice citizen journalism and more organizations incorporate media into their online communication strategies, it’s important to keep in mind the fundamental precepts of journalism. Here’s a short guide to ensuring accuracy from the Center for Citizen Media in a project that I managed. Before you write 1. The best way to maintain accuracy is to develop a system and stick to it. 2. Take the extra seconds to read back to the interviewee the spelling of his or her name. If you need an age, ask for a birth date and year. 3. Avoid using secondary sources to verify facts. 4. If you have to use secondary sources, find

Debunking Internet hoaxes

Almost every day I get queries about whether a particular report or rumor circulating on the Internet is true or not. Not sure whether that e-mail you got contains the truth, a shred of truth, or is a complete fabrication? Here are some of the best resources for verifying or discounting possible Internet hoaxes. Snopes2 The best of the bunch. Hoax info from Internet 101 Advisories and warnings about hoaxes, myths, chain letters, bogus virus alerts and more. Vmyths Learn about computer virus myths, hoaxes, urban legends, hysteria, and the implications if you believe in them.

Cali Lewis on what makes a successful podcast

Cali Lewis (real name Luria Petrucci), the Web show pioneer who is the host and co-producer of GeekBrief.TV, gives a 10-minute interview about her highly successful video podcast (that’s Internet TV to all you laypeople). She talks about the show’s genesis, what podcasting has to offer, how to generate audience participation, her use of Twitter (today she has about 50,000 followers), and her advice to those just starting out in podcasting.

NBC News’ Ann Curry on Twitter

Ann Curry, news anchor of NBC’s “Today” show, spoke animatedly at the 140 Character Conference in New York on June 15, 2009, about news as a public service rather than a business and the growing impact of social media services like Twitter. I caught up with her as she was leaving and did a 3-minute video interview, in which she says, “People want to smarten up — and they want Twitter to smarten up” so that it can play a key role in the news ecosystem.

Online toolkit for citizen reporting

Jump-start your journalism with these resources for amateurs & pros Note: Some links in the resource kit below may no longer work. Do you need to find an expert, research your U.S. senator’s voting record or find out more information about a local nonprofit? Here are some resources to help you get started. OpenCongress www.opencongress.org This site houses official government data, including full text of bills that are going through congress and information about votes. It features “Bills Most Viewed,” “Bills Most Covered in the News” and “Bills Most Covered in Blogs,” as well as its own blog on congressional happenings.

OhmyNews: ‘Every citizen can be a reporter’

A tour inside the newsroom of the pioneering citizen journalism publication Following is a Q&A with Jean K. Min, communications director of OhmyNews International, the trail-blazing citizen journalism publication in Seoul, South Korea. The exchange — with questions put to him by myself and Matthew Lee of the Center for Citizen Media — took place in January 2007.

Citizens’ media gets richer

Photos, video and audio are becoming part of the user-generated palette This article contains some broken links but we’ll keep them intact as a snapshot in time. By J.D. Lasica Online Journalism Review Not long ago, online news sites discovered that users wanted to become part of the media conversation. Begrudgingly, many news sites added group blogs and other devices that cracked open the palace doors and allowed readers to become writers. Turns out the barbarians at the gates were adept at slinging words. Who knew? Now we’re seeing the next stage take hold in the citizens’ media movement. People are beginning to contribute rich media — photos, video and audio — to news sites. “If news organizations don’t embrace

Summary of 2005 Citizens Media Summit

Given the rise of citizens’ media and the burgeoning grassroots publishing movement, author-technologist J.D. Lasica — with the encouragement of Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle — convened a Citizens Media Summit at the Internet Archive headquarters in San Francisco on May 14, 2005. The goal was to begin a conversation, make connections and set down a rough roadmap for how to nurture grassroots media in the years ahead. Thirty-six people turned out for the strategy session on May 14, 2005, beginning at the Rob Hill campground in the Presidio before we retreated to the warmth of the Archive’s offices. Attendees of the Summit We were surprised by the robust turnout. People came not just from the Bay Area but from

20 years ago, a new era of media was born

Accuracy tip sheet

Debunking Internet hoaxes

Cali Lewis on what makes a successful podcast

Online toolkit for citizen reporting

OhmyNews: ‘Every citizen can be a reporter’

Summary of 2005 Citizens Media Summit

Quick links

Featured books

Subscribe

Media

Quick links

Featured books

Subscribe

Pin It on Pinterest