techPresident - Daily Digest: The Barocket Is Back! - Comments

Agreed

Chuckumentary — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:02:29 -0500

I think we do need to be more critical of citizen journalism, so I'm glad you point that out. I think we're in this early stage where it still feels new, we tend to pat ourselves on the back for doing it at all, and be sensitive to criticism because it's a lot of work for little/no pay. :-)

That said, we need to get beyond that stage and focus on how can we actually make citizen journalism better? We have to look critically at the content and process and basically grow up a little bit.

Until that happens, I will continue to remove my shirt while mocking Brit Hume.

Absolutely

Joshua Levy — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 15:09:00 -0500

Chuck, I totally agree and didn't mean to give you guys, or any CJs out there, short shrift. I'm obviously (I hope it's obvious!) a huge supporter of citizen journalism. But to my mind projects like Assignment Zero have focused a bit too much on how it gets done rather than on the fruits of its labor.

That said, you guys, the New Assignment team, and others are definitely creating actual sausage, and it's been great.

Sausage

Chuckumentary — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 15:00:48 -0500

Hey Joshua, thanks to linking to what we're doing at The UpTake.
I agree, CJs talk a little too much about themselves (i'm particularly guilty of that - look I'm doing it again!)

At the same time, we like to show how the sausage is made, or even better to not make sausage at all. I think it's okay to put ourselves in the story and have some fun with it. More serious stories, I prefer to have nothing between the story and the viewer.

Daily Digest: The Barocket Is Back!

Joshua Levy — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 11:37:29 -0500

While we were sleeping, there was a Wyoming primary, but few candidates mention the results on their sites; The Barocket is back! Barack Obama's online popularity has skyrocketed since his win in Iowa; Facebook's role in Saturday's debates may have underwhelmed, but it did give voters a chance to spout off; Ron Paul is excluded from yesterday's GOP debate and no one really knows why; citizen journalists the Uptake post a video about their process in Iowa; and Joe Garofoli describes the intricate dance campaigns perform to turn online support into offline action and to court the youth vote.