Seven Lessons From Citizen Journalists

Douglas McGill has been teaching a basic journalism community education classes in Minneapolis for three years.  He’s ended up learning a few things himself :

1. Citizens are an untapped source of expertise and positive civic energy that journalists can help unlock.

2. There is no substitute for a strong, independent, institutional journalism.

3. Citizens can help journalists reconnect to the wellsprings of their craft.

4. Journalists need to learn citizenship skills, as much as citizens need to learn journalism.

5. A good citizen journalism class, like a great newspaper, allows for all types of expression – artistic, poetic, literary, photographic, musical, comical and fun.

6. Citizens create vital community consciousness through the discipline of writing journalistically.

7. I’m the one who needs to change.

He goes into more detail with each point at the link.