How to Be a Civilian Journalist

Being a civilian journalist is distinct from being a traditional journalist.

"Civilian journalism" or "community journalism" is comprised of amateurs who dedicate their free time to investigative or reactive journalism. The distinction between civilian journalists and professional journalists (who work for official media outlets and are paid for their work) has taken on a new relevance in the rise of the "blogosphere," where anyone who takes a few minutes to set up a blog can post about and comment on news stories.

Instructions

1. Start by subscribing to blogs dealing with the subject matter you are particularly interested in. Citizen journalism is usually very local and very niche-based, and often is reactive to the professional journalism of official news outlets. Becoming part of these communities can help you identify deficiencies in mainstream journalism.

2. Begin your own blog, aggregating the types of stories and coverage you wish to draw attention to. This should be combined with your own analysis and commentary on the issues presented.

3. Research the topics you're most concerned about. In journalism, the majority of the work is due diligence. Reading, annotating and corroborating evidence is what will give your journalistic endeavor credibility and authority. This includes investigating influential and important people in your subject of choice.

4. Contact key people in your area of expertise, regardless of prestige, fame or profile. While journalistic interviews are distinct from, say, job interviews, they can be pursued in a similar way by establishing your professionalism. This can be done by arranging meetings in person, over the phone or through email. Be prepared to ask questions that guide the conversation in a direction that makes sense for the kind of information you want to learn.

5. Be aggressive in pursuing stories you wish to bring to light, particularly news that the mainstream news either won't or can't report on. The standards of journalism should still be followed, even if a reporter isn't part of the mainstream journalistic apparatus. Research, persistence, analysis and patience are key.

References

• Opinion:- Civilian Journalism is not truly what people thinks it is
• Your Guide to Citizen Journalism: Mark Glaser; September 2006