Introduction to Citizen Media
Veteran blogger Joi Ito recommends these five tips to all bloggers
- Be modest - The Internet is a big place and it is more than likely that someone else out there knows more about the topic we’re writing about than we do. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t write about it, just try not to sound like a know-it-all.
- Ask for help - If you are grappling with a problem that you need help figuring out, ask your readers. It’s also a good way to start a conversation.
- Take a position - Other websites like Wikipedia request neutrality and objectivity, but weblogs are great places to both state opinions and be tolerant of other opinions that might differ from yours.
- Link - Try to search around other blogs before publishing something yourself. If you find others discussing a similar topic, then link to their posts. Try to participate in a conversation rather than stand on a soapbox.
- Write early, write often - Focus on communicating your points clearly. It’s good to use proper spelling and grammar, but it’s more important to just write and participate.
To conclude
We’ve now seen many ways in which the Internet is having a profound effect on the global media and how we communicate with each other. 10 years ago very few people participated in the process of making media. Today, professional media outlets like newspapers, magazines, TV shows, and radio programs still exist, but they are also being complemented by a new group of media makers - everyday citizens of the world, just like you and me.
It does not matter if we live in a rural village in Tanzania or in a bustling major city like Beijing — anyone and everyone with an Internet connection can now take part in the process of making media. If we feel that our community’s journalists are failing us, we can show them how to do better.
This exciting (and sometimes overwhelming) world of blogs, podcasts, and online video is often referred to as “citizen media.” Most likely, it won’t replace traditional journalism — we still need the investigative reports of trained professionals. But online media, which allow anyone to take part and voice an opinion, might be the first step to a world which allows for more participation, more diversity, and more transparency.
Next step, participate
We hope that this introductory guide has given you a better understanding of citizen media. We hope that you feel inspired to spend time getting to know some of the blogs, podcasts, and Internet TV shows that we have listed as case studies. We hope that you search for even more citizen media. And, above all, we hope that this introduction inspires you to move on to the next guide and learn how to participate.
Each of the guides is designed so that you can read it separately from the rest. If a certain topic interests you more than the others, feel free to read it first. However, we suggest the following order:
Intro to Citizen Media
Intro to RSS
3(a). How to use WordPress
(b). How to use Blogger
4. Intro to Online Photography
5(a). Intro to Podcasting
(b). How to use Audacity
6(a). Intro to Online Video
(b). How to use Movie Maker

Join the global conversation
Global Voices is a community of citizen media enthusiasts from around the world which aggregates, curates, and amplifies the international online conversation. Whether you’re looking for podcasts from Japan or captivating photos from Macedonia, Global Voices is an online village of everyday people sharing stories, photographs, and opinions from their corner of the world to yours.
We hope that you take part in the conversation.
www.globalvoicesonline.org
