Great resources for the citizen journalist

I blog, therefore I am. I’ve been at the political/news blogging game for five years now. It began as a hobby and a way to vent, and soon became a lifestyle. I travel to cover stories, plus write opinion on other news of the day. The best days are the ones when I get a scoop, and I’m the first – sometimes the only – one.

That makes me part of a new breed called the Citizen Journalist.

So what does it take to be a citizen journalist? Well, it doesn’t take a journalism school degree, that’s for sure. It takes a healthy dose of curiosity, some skepticism, a moral compass really helps, and the ability to write.

Curiosity: If you don’t have the necessary drive to find out about a subject or event, there’s no point in committing to write about it. But if you have passion for something, be it government, commerce, pop culture – whatever, you will be able to imbue your readership (or listeners or viewers, if you are a podcaster or vlogger) with some of your enthusiasm.

Skepticism: Don’t believe everything you read/hear. Just because your local paper or the New York Times says something doesn’t mean you’re getting the full story. Do your research.

Moral Compass: Though shalt not lie. Keep it honest. There’s enough blatant lying in mainstream media without you adding any. You also need a thick skin, because if you’re the one exposing lies, you will be attacked. Let’s just hope you’re attacked in print, and not in the flesh.

Ability to Write: If you have no basic grammar, you will have no basic readers. Simple as that. And while you may never master that free flowing Hunter S. Thompson-esque storytelling ability, you can brush up on the tenets of good writing. Until you know the rules, you can’t break them.

Just because you don’t need to spend money on a J-School degree doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have some basics under your belt. Things like the difference between Associated Press and Chicago Style, how to conduct an interview, how to act around famous people without losing your cool, and where you should be hanging out to find stories.

So here are some great resources to get you started:

University of Kansas Covering Communities: Tips, information and guidelines for the budding citizen journalist

Chi Town Daily News Community Journalism Workshop: Sign up for local events if you are in the Chicago area, or just peruse the links if you aren’t local

MediaBistro: Online or live courses and workshops. Lots of great articles

Help A Reporter Out: HARO is a great place to find a quotable source, like an industry expert

Read other news and events blogs. Consume as much mainstream news as you can, and then try to triangulate the facts. And keep at it. You really haven’t arrived till you get your first piece of hate mail.