Teaching j-students to be “citizen journalists”
The University of Missouri’s School of Journalism is experimenting with a new course in citizen journalism. Clyde Bently, an associate professor there, says its an attempt to get students to learn new skills and explore the community beyond the campus. They are required to take and share photos online using photo sharing sites; cover beats by finding contributors in the community to submit stories for them to edit; find and develop bloggers and write a blog themselves. As Bently says “we need to develop a journalism curriculum that focuses on delivering the story with the soft touch of a symphony conductor rather than the loud improvisation of a soloist.”
The University of Missouri’s School of Journalism is experimenting with a new course in citizen journalism. Clyde Bently, an associate professor there, says its an attempt to get students to learn new skills and explore the community beyond the campus. They are required to take and share photos online using photo sharing sites; cover beats by finding contributors in the community to submit stories for them to edit; find and develop bloggers and write a blog themselves. As Bently says “we need to develop a journalism curriculum that focuses on delivering the story with the soft touch of a symphony conductor rather than the loud improvisation of a soloist.”
