Twitter Tips
Twitter has finally hit its stride as a leading tool for finding and sharing timely information from all sorts of places and sources. Learn how to sign up, log on and start posting "tweets" to enhance your hyperlocal coverage.
"It's amazing what you can say and do in just 140 characters."
I, Reporter

Top 10 Rules for
Limiting Legal Risk
As participatory and citizen journalism explode, lawsuits with sometimes scary damages claims are sparking anxiety.
Learn how to avoid legal pitfalls.
"Whether you're a hyperlocal citizen journalist or someone practicing journalism of any sort, or a blogger of any sort or a publisher of any sort ... you need to know how to stay safe."
Journalism Professor, CUNY

Journalism 2.0:
How to Survive and Thrive
"Can you send an attachment with an e-mail? Then you have what it takes to publish a blog with pictures."
This 128-page book is a guide to jumpstart digital media skills for newsrooms and classrooms. Learn how to use RSS feeds, transfer files with FTP, store data on spreadsheets, create and maintain a blog, report news for the Web, shoot and edit photos and video and record audio.

Tools for Citizen Journalists
So you've decided to start a community news site, but going it alone can be daunting. These tips and tools will help you cope with the challenges you're likely facing.
"Citizen volunteers have to understand that the heart of journalism is accuracy. You can't take shortcuts."
Executive Editor
Skip Hidlay
Twelve Tips for Growing Positive Communities Online
So you've gotten your community news, information, or discussion site off the ground. People are showing up, reading what you've posted, posting their own content, and joining in discussions. It's all going great. That is, until someone gets nasty in a comment or post. Someone else takes offense and lashes back, then more people join the fray, flaming each other brutally. How do you handle this situation and avoid similar problems in the future? I, Reporter's Amy Gahran offers some tips.
ABOUT KCNN The Knight Citizen News Network is a self-help portal that guides both ordinary citizens and traditional journalists in launching and responsibly operating community news and information sites and that assembles news innovations and research on citizen media projects.
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things we like

YouTube Citizen News: Super popular video-sharing portal YouTube now offers a channel dedicated to citizen reporting.

Confessions of a Backdoor Biologist: This blogger and bird watcher offers photos of what he sees, info on where to find rare birds, and news on conservation efforts.
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Pre-ONA Workshops on Sept. 11
| • | "Playing the News," 9 a.m to 3 p.m. ($50 for ONA members, $60 for non-members, includes lunch)
"J-School Entrepren- eurship Bootcamp," 4 to 8 p.m. ($30 for ONA members, $40 for non-members, includes dinner). |
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| Journalism 2.0: How to Survive and Thrive. A digital literacy guide for the information age. | |
| • | Download PDF |
| • | Order Hard Copies |
| J-Lab research: CitMedia Sites are Here to Stay | |
- Aug. 14: Introducing HuffPost Chicago
- Jun. 9: OJR: LoudounExtra’s Oversights
- May. 12: Disney Park Goers Share Info




