University of Melbourne launches new media site The Citizen
The Centre for Advancing Journalism has this morning launched a new online media site The Citizen, which is centred around the idea partnering professional journalists with citizen and student journalists.
The project is being lead by journalism academic Margaret Simons who will serve as editor-in-chief while the site itself is edited by veteran journalist Simon Mann, who was previously a senior reporter with The Age.
Simons, who is director of Centre for Advancing Journalism and an occasional contributor to newsletter Crikey, said: “This is the start of something and it will grow, increase and hopefully make a positive contribution.”
The project will be the flagship for the centre and will combine the Centre’s teaching, research and engagement goals and will included contributions from both students at the Centre’s masters program and also professional journalists. “It will showcase all of our work and as a teaching tool where our students are getting experience in writing to deadline and with real publication imperatives,” she said.
I can’t find the site RSS feed — which means I’m not going to be able to subscribe and read it. *sigh*
In Queensland we’re doing something similar with CitizenJ. Graduates, students and active members of the community can become contributors.
We offer free workshops, one-on-one support with facilitators, equipment for loan, a community newsroom space, publication through CitizenJ (found at http://citizenj.edgeqld.org.au/ ) and our publishing partners. We also host the Walkley Media Talks in Brisbane and fund experimental journalism projects (watch this space, we’ve just decided on the four recipients of round two funding).
I’m really impressed with the heavy involvement of journalism industry professionals in The Citizen. Great point of difference.