Welcome/Overview – Citizen Media: Fad or Future of News?
What does the latest research on citizen media tell us?

• Jan Schaffer, Executive Director, J-Lab
   

CitMedia Ventures as Learning Laboratories
J-schools are embedding students to cover local communities and publishing their work in new online publications.

• Barb Iverson, CreatingCommunityConnections.org, Columbia College of Chicago
• Clyde Bentley, MyMissourian.com, University of Missouri School of Journalism
   

Filling in the Gaps
Former journalists and non-journalists are covering local issues and watchdogging local government.

• Geoff Dougherty, ChiTownDailyNews.org, Founder and Editor
• Rob Goodspeed, RethinkCollegePark.net, DCist.com, ArborUpdate.com, Founder; Master of Community Planning program, University of Maryland
   

The View from Mainstream Media
Rob Curley, Vice President for Product Development at Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive, describes the strategy and thinking behind the Post’s new launch of LoudounExtra.com, a hyperlocal site serving one of the nation’s fastest growing counties.