Architecture of Citizen Journalism

I’d like to make an analogy of this project and building a structure.

Right now I have a rough idea of what the finished building should look like. It’s large and practical. It can house offices and as well as personal space. It will probably even have a bathroom covered in graffiti.

I’m still surveying the land. Right now there are no other structures in the area and the ground is rough and hard. But the weather might be turning for the better and ground breaking will better in the spring.

That’s just the beginning. The foundation will have to be solid. We’re talking three-foot thick wall of solid information. Plumbing the flow of information and electricity to power citizen journalist and readers will be a major consideration.

The entrance will be welcoming and always open. The rooms will be large and spacious so there’s room for everyone. Hopefully people will stay and mingle. Office space will provide a place for people to get some serious work done, if anyone is so inclined.

Then there’s the lounges where people relax and get things off their minds. And you know how public restrooms are. Filled with graffiti and slander for those who want to rant anonymously, but what can you do.

But I haven’t even drawn the blueprints. Maybe there are other rooms and amenities that you can suggest. Perhaps we can build a library and classrooms.

The tools are there to build this on the Internet. Everything from podcasts, chatrooms, discussion boards, wikis, and a host of other technology can build this space. And most importantly this is not just some virtual space detached from reality.

This will be grounded in the reality of our schools. In a sense it will be right in our backyard or more accurately right at our finger tips.

To beat a dead cliché - if we build it they will come. Or will they? That’s the experiment, but hopefully a worthy one.

PeaceMaker

I've started to work on video game called Peacemaker, editing the written content.

As the title suggest, it is a different type of "war" game. Simplifying the Israeli/Palestinian conflict into a win-able game can show you how foolishly ignorant one can be of such a hot and complex topic.

When I played the test version recently I lost several times in the begining. However the more losses I racked up the more understanding I gained. And by the time I won on the easy setting a rush came over me.

Usually when I win a game I get a rush of domination. This time my hairs stood on end with a mild ecstasy of enlightenment. Breaking the cycle of violence as political leader was a completely different rush.

Their website has links to articles written by Time magazine, New York Times, BBC, Washington Post and many other news outlets. Also they have a compelling video to watch.

Anyway I'm proud to be editing the content of this game. It's a small part but hopefully it'll add some value to the experience.

This is also the reason I'm not able to post as much as I'd like. However, they are helping build a network of socially responsible organizations and individuals. These contact will probably helpful in my current journalistic project.

Esoteric Rantings on School News

I'm interested in news and policies on education that could effect public school sytems. Yet there is a more tenable goal to this project. A change in culture. A subtle change at that.

I don't believe this will be "the" website for those who want to radically change their schools. This is not a call to activism. This is not the life blood of the community. Even the most avid media junky spends a few minutes a day consuming one form of news. This will probably not be monumental to any individual much less to our society.

Maybe this site will be like a rare but reoccuring dream to people. Mostly insignifcant to your everyday reality. Something that hangs in the back of your mind and might inform you of some strange working of your brian. Perhaps, once in a blue moon someone will look at this website and be informed of the strange workings of the public school system.

The school system is like trying to understand why there is war. There are too many reasons for one person to understand the complexties of such a massive social undertaking.

But trying to understand is better than living in complete ingnorance. Maybe those dreams are trying to tell you something.

New Media's Future as History

Imagine getting into you car and plugging in a USB memory-stick or tuning in to a streaming podcast of news concerning your child's school. Perhaps, something strikes you as interesting as you pull into a parking lot before work.

You have a few minutes before a meeting. So, you turn on your portable computer and follow-up on the story. At that moment the reporter happens to be online so you IM him a question. A minute later he responds and can tell you a few links that has that information but doesn't know personally. You save the message for later.

A couple of days later, right before bed, you read a story or few links or heated discussions on the topic or watch an archived video podcast of the last PTA meeting.

This person writes his opinion backed up by some facts thet they found in a different field that's relevant, like psychology.

A week later a person emails him some comments about the posting. They dialogue about it either in private or public. Then they reach both gain some insight to the another perspective.

Perhaps on other days the person tuned into national politics, international news, the on-going war or some other topic that generally has a beat or an editor.

This might be a way people use media.

There would be stories written from professional reporters as well as students, parents, teachers, principals and others. Stories on a particular or related topic that gives multiple perspectives.

A person that hosts a live video news show once a day on local education. A chat room to discuss with other readers real time on the important issue for the nest school board election. Links to official government documents about spending and law. And these documents would have analysis from different sources. A discussion board on all topics.

The one way broadcast of news from the rich and powerfull is ending. You Tube and My Space might later be We Tube and Our Space. It also might compel the government to have more openness in their records by developing a culture that demands online twenty-four hour access.

Now we save all this stuff and it now becomes a first draft of history. A more detailed and inclusive account that the future can use. The archiving of this data is invaluable to future generations.

The news as well as history can now be written by everyone not just the winners.

School Reporting by Students

What if student wrote about the curriculum at school? Maybe they could write a report on the quality of school lunches? Not merely their opinion of the subjects but their attempt to do some objective reporting on what they are learning.

Imagine a reporter at our schools telling us what goes on inside the school house gates. Stories not just about the budget or some controversial student expulsion or teacher misconduct. We might actually learn about the day to day running of the school.

But is it possible? What will be the quality of reporting? Won't it be biased? And thousands of other questions. I believe it is possible to some degree and an worthy experiment on democracy.

One question I hope to obviate is, "Won't this be like rate my Teacher?" No, because I will try to moderate and edit it. Isn't that censorship? Yes an no. In the same way an editor censors his reporters, minimally.

I will attempt to post all stories from student reporters. However, I will attempt to put them into some order either by technology or personal judgement. In other words, stories that are contain libelous or defamatory statement would have to be edited, just like traditional journalism. However if the story is just of poor reliability or structure it might just go into the "back pages."

This is a suggestion and I want to see what your opinions might be? I will personally respond and post all questions and comments to evolve the discussion.

Constitutional Blueprint and the Tangled Threads

All organizations and every nation require guiding principles. Rules that are more principled than the mere will of fickle humans. We agree to make laws that prevent power from tuning into tyranny. That includes the tyranny of the majority.

Local Educational News will also require a constitution. The editors, reporters, financiers and other individual must swear to obey the principles that will inform and empower the public. In turn the public must also respect the rights of individual and minorities in their expression of opinion and ideas.

The forum for this journalistic experiment will try to be open marketplace of ideas. A marketplace where media monopoly owned by elites will be dismantled by the quality of the ideas. Ideas will be rise to the top by virtue of its merits not by financial dominance.

As I write this I am visiting my family. The adults are watching TV and 10 nephew and nieces are playing with new toys. The parents all tired from work and relaxing for the holidays. I feel that most people cannot spare the time or energy to read about their schools much less participate in writing about their schools.

While talking to my cousin about education, he said, “It’s all to overwhelming.” And he is right. National, state and local regulations combined with sociological and cultural phenomena can only be penetrated with a great deal of work.

But this is why I want this project to succeed. I want this information to be more accessible and consumable, yet not dumb-downed. That way we can talk about education. If there can be meaningful dialogue then there might be meaningful progress.

Ironically, all the adult members of my family have a degree and most have a graduate degree. I shudder to think how people with fewer resources can cope with educational decisions.

So what does this have to do with a constitution? Nothing really. But untangling the massive ball of education I begin to realize there is more than one thread.

I don’t want to be the sole author of a constitution for several reasons. The main reason is that I cannot do it alone. The other reason is that it would completely contradictory to the spirit of the project.

So here is this fledgling project with nothing to guide us, but this the exciting part. This is where we can use our intellect and creativity. Sometime soon I will actively try to engage people I know who might be willing to help.

Hopefully soon my monologue will end.

Constitutional Blueprint and the Tangled Threads

All organizations and every nation require guiding principles. Rules that are more principled than the mere will of fickle humans. We agree to make laws that prevent power from tuning into tyranny. That includes the tyranny of the majority.

Local Educational News will also require a constitution. The editors, reporters, financiers and other individual must swear to obey the principles that will inform and empower the public. In turn the public must also respect the rights of individual and minorities in their expression of opinion and ideas.

The forum for this journalistic experiment will try to be open marketplace of ideas. A marketplace where media monopoly owned by elites will be dismantled by the quality of the ideas. Ideas will be rise to the top by virtue of its merits not by financial dominance.

As I write this I am visiting my family are watching TV and 10 nephew and nieces are playing with new toys. The parents all tired from work and relaxing for the holidays. I feel that most people cannot spare the time or energy to read about their schools much less participate in writing about their schools.

While talking to my cousin about education, he said, “It’s all to overwhelming.” And he is right. National, state and local regulations combined with sociological and cultural phenomena can only be penetrated with a great deal of work.

But this is why I want this project to succeed. I want this information to be more accessible and consumable, yet not dumb-downed. That way we can talk about education. If there can be meaningful dialogue then there might be meaningful progress.

Ironically, all the adult members of my family have a degree and most have a graduate degree. I shudder to think how people with fewer resources can cope with educational decisions.

So what does this have to do with a constitution? Nothing really. But untangling the massive ball of education I begin to realize there is more than one thread.

I don’t want to be the sole author of a constitution for several reasons. The main reason is that I cannot do it alone.

The funny thing is that we will need to set some ground rules for making the rules. Any suggestions?

Next week I’ll propose some of my own.