I, Reporter

Could Citizen Journalists Have Saved These Lives?

I couldn't help but think about citizen journalists' potential role as tipsters, after hearing a fascinating talk over at Columbia Journalism School by David Barstow, the NY Times investigative reporter, about his 2004 Pulitzer Prize-winning series on workplace safety at McWane Industries, a iron pipe maker labeled by the paper as one of the most dangerous employers in America.

One thing that jumped out at me in the remarkable discussion on how the series came about, and the varied and impressive range of techniques Barstow used to report it, was this –- despite the company’s deliberate indifference to worker safety, Barstow said no local papers near various McWane plants had ever touched the larger story. The weak quality of the local news organizations, Barstow argued, was further hampered by a mentality that left beyond question anything that seemed to contribute to the local economy.

Is it possible citizen journalism could have made a difference in this case?

Spotting Stories in Your Own Backyard (Literally)

I've spoken with many people about the concept of citizen journalism. Generally, people like the idea -- especially the part about giving neighborhood issues more public visibility. But then they usually pause and say, "Oh, but I really wouldn't know what to write about."

Your backyard can be an excellent breeding ground for stories. Literally. Mine certainly is.

Here's my backyard. I live in a Boulder, CO neighborhood that borders on open space and a creek. When I first moved here in 1997 the mosquitos were annoying but not terrible. In the last five years they've become utterly unbearable -- a considerable concern since West Nile virus has moved into my state.

My neighbors have come to call the area circled in red "Skeeter Hell." It's a largely unchecked breeding ground for mosquitos, containing ever-increasing pockets of standing water.

Here's how I came to see that there might be a citJ story lurking in this irritating aspect of my environment...