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May 09, 2008 7:28 PM |
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Jan Schaffer |
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Q - Tell me a little about J-Lab and what it is trying to accomplish.
J-Lab: The Institute for Interactive Journalism, a center of the Philip Merrill College of Journalism, helps news organizations and citizens use new information ideas and innovative computer technologies to develop ways for people to participate in the news and engage in critical public policy issues. It is a leader in tracking, rewarding and spotlighting developments that are rapidly transforming and democratizing the media landscape.
J-Lab focuses on interactive and participatory journalism, innovations in journalism, and the fast-emerging field of citizens media, or citizen-generated content.
It spotlights dynamic news games and searchable databases on its www.j-lab.org web site. It rewards cutting-edge innovations through the $16,000 Knight-Batten Awards for Innovations in Journalism funded by the Knight Foundation. It funds pioneering hyperlocal citizens media ventures -- 10 per year -- through its New Voices project at www.J-NewVoices.org. It also provides training in community publishing through its www.J-Learning.org website and through speeches and training around the country.
Q -J-Lab just announced its winners for the Knight-Batten Awards for Innovations in Journalism - what makes this different from other awards programs for journalists?
There are several journalism awards programs that reward excellent digital stories. They tend to reward productions SKILLS like Flash slideshows, moving parts and various bells and whistles. The Knight-Batten Awards are unique in that they don't reward skill sets they reward mindsets. They reward innovative efforts by traditional media that build entry points for people to interact, engage, participate in the news, in public decisions, in finding their own stories and information almost always aided by new technologies.
Q - J-Lab is now into its second year of its awards program aimed at what is called "Citizens Media." What exactly IS Citizens Media and what are you trying to accomplish with this program?
Citizens Media is the rapidly developing field of citizen-produced hyperlocal news. J-Lab provides start-up funding of up to $17,000 to 10 hyperlocal news ventures per year.
J-Lab is trying to find what models will be successful, where residents of a community can help inform one another, and where journalists can find new listening posts for news they need to cover in a community. As mainstream news organizations cut their reporting staffs, J-Lab is looking to find how small communities can get their Small-J news and information. And, in a future project, J-Lab expects to build in some training to help people launch responsible news initiatives.
Q - Is the concept of hyper-local news the biggest journalism trend of the future?
It's certainly a major trend of the moment. But I don't think any of us can state declaratively what the biggest journalism trend of the future will be. Things are moving too quickly. I do think, however, that increasingly audiences are going to want to take a more active role in consuming, participating in, interacting with, and generating the news. They have a role to play and some expertise to lend, People may not aspire to be Big-J journalists, but they often have some journalistic DNA.
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I think the U.S. is way behind Asia in the use of mobile phones as news delivery vehicles. I think the process of creating the news will become far more transparent. I think the process of truthsquading the news will become far more aggressive. And I think that the definitions of "news" and the delivery systems will increasingly be influenced by smart innovators and no longer closely held by a club of mainstream news organizations. Let's hope these new innovators have some of the core values that journalists aspire to.
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Q - What other projects do you see for J-Lab in the future?
If J-Lab could land the funding, I have several ideas for new ventures. I would like to convene community and family foundations to educate them about Citizens Media efforts and encourage them to support small efforts in their communities. I would like to build an initiative to bring more computer programmers into journalism. Programmers have an enormous capacity to help journalists build entry points for news and information that are searchable, dynamic, automatically updated and extremely efficient. I also have a dream of creating an initiative for women media entrepreneurs. I think the role of women in innovation -- just look at the role of women and minorities in Silicon Valley -- is not to be discounted, especially in the realm of news and information. Q - What part do universities like Maryland play in all this? The opportunity for universities in this new media landscape is significant. Universities can play a key role in training a new generation of citizens to be responsibly informed about civic affairs. They can inculcate an appetite for innovation and a spirit of invention. And they can help instill a comfort level with rapid change. |
J-Lab: The Institute for Interactive Journalism
Knight-Batten Awards Home Page
Citizens Media Home Page
J-Learning Home Page
Philip Merrill College of Journalism Home Page
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