Hi all, Just thought I'd let the list in on the details of an Australian Research Council-funded citizen journalism project that I'm helping to facilitate from the Creative Industries Faculty at Queensland University of Technology (other partners include SBS, On Line Opinion and the Brisbane Institute). We're offering a citizen-led coverage of the upcoming Australian Federal Election on an electorate-by-electorate (hyperlocal) basis. It would be great experience/CV fodder for student journalists. It might also be something that colleagues are interested in getting involved in directly! In any case, we'll hope you'll monitor the project post-launch in September. Information follows - please get in touch if you have any thoughts or recommendations. http://youdecide2007.org j5.wilson@qut.edu.au Best Jason youdecide2007 Funded by the ARC, and with project partners SBS, On Line Opinion and the Brisbane Insitute, the Creative Industries Faculty is conducting a major national research project on the emerging phenomenon of citizen journalism. The project will produce a range of outcomes, from cutting-edge research to exciting, real-world projects. The first major initiative of the project is youdecide2007. This is a citizen journalism project which will offer a grassroots, electorate-by-electorate coverage of the 2007 Australian Federal Election. Ordinary Australians will have the opportunity to report on the election from their own, local perspective, in a way that takes local issues into account. With this promising to be the closest-fought election contest in some time, youdecide2007 will offer a new lens on our national democracy. The broad perspectives offered by mainstream media outlets will be complemented with a coverage that shows how local issues matter to individuals. At the heart of the initiative is a website and an online community which will host reportage and multimedia content covering a range of key, “battleground” seats. The site will offer a diverse range of perspectives on the election, and host both news and opinion content that is generated by the voters. The election and a surge of interest in citizen journalism means that youdecide2007 will garner national and international attention. “Anchor” citizen journalists will be sought for key seats, but news and opinion will be welcome from the widest possible base of contributors. Training and advice will be provided, to help get a broad base of individuals involved in contributing content and the editorial process. As the project progresses, research articles will be published based on this experience, surveying global developments in citizen journalism, contributing to conferences in this area, and working towards community outreach activities including citizen journalism workshops. Most importantly, though, we will be generating expertise which we can use to contribute to sustainable citizen journalism projects in the future. Dr. Jason Wilson Research Associate Creative Industries Faculty Queensland University of Technology j5.wilson@qut.edu.au Tel +61 (0) 7 31380154 Mob +61 (0) 423913297 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Get the World's number 1 free email service. http://mail.yahoo.com.au