Citizen Media and Hyperlocal Journalism

Recently, The J-Lab at the University of Maryland, Merrill College of Journalism, released a report entitled "Citizen Media: Fad or the Future of News."  In their survey of nearly 200 separate community news websites, the J-Lab produced a number of conclusions that project a strong future for "hyperlocal journalism."

Some of the findings from the report include:

* Citizen media sites are forming a bridge between traditional media and civic participation.

* They require different measures of success than traditional sites, because of the frequency of repeat-visitors and the localized sphere of influence, which counter models based on unique visitors and generation revenue.

*With nearly three-quarters of respondents saying that their sites were a "success," the obstacles stemmed from means of contribution and operational support.

The J-Lab has launched a new website to help amplify community news: the Knight Citizen News Network.  In addition, citizen journalists can utilize the Center for Citizen Media, a joint project between UC Berkley's School of Journalism and the Berkman Center, where you can find commentary on the latest developments in citizen media as well as their recently released guide: "Principles of Citizen Journalism."