Although there are many different Citizen Journalism, blogging, or Community news sites on the web, I am always on the lookout for those trying something a little different or a little new.

Paul Sullivan's Orato! is one of those experimenting with offering a something with a twist. It's not exactly a blog, not exactly an online newspaper, but something of a combination. At one time, Orato considered offering fact checking and editorial services for a fee, but as Paul explains below, they have postponed and are reconsidering that model.

Post additional questions that you may have for Paul and perhaps he will be able to drop by and answer them.

Just for fun, I created a short quiz relating to citizen journalism.

Want to take it?  Click on the link below the fold.

[editor's note] Originally posted way back in September of 2005, this guide on quoting sources is always useful!

Update [2005-9-7 9:21:43 by luaptifer]: obtained Dr. Hexham's permission for a more extensive excerpt of The Plague of Plagiarism

As a skeptic, I always need evidence.

As a scientist, whose work is entirely dependent on work done by others before me, one of the things built into the infrastructure of my training was the utter necessity to refer to, to document, and to explicitly cite the writing on which my thoughts and efforts was founded.

After I ventured into the discussion domain of the internet, I observed that I was among the 5-10% of message board inhabitants to exhibit the rare behavior of correct attribution and source citation. It proved invaluable when in argument with kneejerk reactionaries so many times (even the rare 1% who'd cite) to backtrack their assertions where I'd nearly always find the info to undermine their use of widely distributed talking points.

It is now second nature to me: to quote and link work I'm using in current research and writing efforts.

One question anyone new to journalism (and many of us involved in Citizen Journalism certainly are) should consider is where the rights of those they are covering begin and end.  As photographs and videos are becoming a major part of the Citizen-Journalist arsenal (what with phone cameras and all), it might be pertinent to review just what our rights are when we take pictures and publish them.

There is definitely no mistaking me for a `traditional' journalist.

Deadlines have been my enemy this past week and half, and I'm only now able to share details on what I considered the must-not-miss panel at this month's National Conference for Media Reform in Memphis.

 "The Press at War & the War on the Press" discussion brought together:

• Sonali Kolhatkar, Afghan Women's Mission and KPFK
  
• Paul Rieckhoff, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
  
• Geneva Overholser, University of Missouri (moderator)
  
• Helen Thomas, Hearst Newspapers
  
• Eric Boehlert, Media Matters for America

There were a few surprise speakers, too.

Memphis is buzzing tonight. And there's revolution in the air. While the ducks still make their way up the steps of the Peabody Hotel (and Elvis very literally is still everywhere), mixed in with the mist of the day and the traditions reflected in this historic city's glossy cobblestone streets are thousands of new, old, traditional, young, seasoned and passionate media types banding together this weekend to say, "We want more -- and we want better."

The Journalism That Matters sessions and the National Conference for Media Reform meet-up have taken wing -- and to the streets. The energy is palpable.

And the future of journalism is here and now.

promoted. rba

Aldon Hynes at orient-lodge points to an important story about how the NYPD stole a video camera from a "Citizen Journalist" at a demonstration.

On October 30, 2006 at a demonstration protesting the murder of journalist Brad Will in Mexico, members of the NYPD assaulted an independent videographer and stole his videocamera.

That's right, stole. The filmmaker, FluxRostrum, was not arrested. He did not receive a receipt for seized property. He was not even directly asked for his camera. Instead, without any warning, he was jumped by two police officers, one of whom is an NYPD captain, and knocked down onto the asphalt of 39th Street. One police officer was succcesful in wrenching the camera out of Flux's hands. As Flux crawled around on the ground looking for the eyeglasses which had been knocked off his face during the attack, the cop with the camera quickly conferred with another officer. Then he ran off to hide the camera.

The big problem for the NYPD here: They forgot to steal the video evidence of their theft and assault from other people with cameras at the demonstration.

The video is worth checking out and demonstrates the need for Citizen Journalists and video Bloggers to take precautions and always watch each others' backs when they are in politically charged situations.

x-posted at Drinking Liberally in New Milford

Yesterday, Aaron Barlow wrote a compelling commentary about what is happening to journalism -- or at least to that segment of the profession I call the paparazzi media. Still, especially on Kos, many interpreted Aaron as attacking the work of all individual journalists. But I took Aaron's commentary to be focused on the business side of journalism, not on those reporters who toil in the trenches.

Also yesterday, ironically, three more journalists were murdered just as a memorial to the 2000 reporters killed since WWII while doing their jobs was unveiled in Bayeux, France.

As the first European memorial to journalists killed while doing their jobs was being inaugurated Saturday, word trickled in: Three journalists had been shot to death in Afghanistan and Russia.

. . .

The memorial in Bayeux to slain journalists, said to be the first of its kind in Europe, features four white markers etched with the names of journalists, photographers, and camera and sound technicians killed since 1944 — when Allied troops liberated the town. Additional stones are to be added in coming months.

In terms of newspapers and reporting, there's a long history of the divide between the goals of reporters on the "front" who work in alarmingly dangerous situations and the "money men" back in the corporate offices.

That divide probably became a chasm when the Los Angeles Times dissolved the separation between advertizing and news in 1999, a watershed moment even for those who thought the Los Angeles Times was too "left-leaning." The marketing arm would henceforth drive what stories were to be covered:

Last December, an embarrassed Times had to apologize to its readers and disclose a deal to share profits from an edition of the Sunday magazine with Staples Center, the new sports arena that was the subject of the magazine.

Many journalists saw the Staples scandal as the final straw culminating from a bad policy decision championed by Mark Willes, current chairman and chief executive. Willes was determined to break down the traditional walls between the newspaper’s editorial and business (read: advertising) sides. Money, money, money, money.

Apparently, another policy decision was made several years ago to decrease copy space on the page and increase photos. Less reading, more looking at pictures. A decision which no doubt came out of the desire to compete with the highly visual nature of television. Great! Just what we need ... an unmoving version of a moving medium!