Mgp2006-video

VIDEO: The New Pamphleteers available for $9.50

AMHERST, Mass. -- An intimate video view of the motivations, operations and challenges faced by citizen journalist entrepreneurs -- in the words of more than 44 participants and experts -- has been released by a University of Massachusetts-based research group which hosted a 2006 conference on the top. A 78-minute DVD of the Creative Commons-licensed video is available to for a fee of $9.50 to cover, production, duplication, mailing and transaction costs.

PURCHASE VIA CREDIT CARD NOW

TITLE: The New Pamphleteers: Entrepreneurs, watchdogs and citizens in the digital age

"This lightly produced video is broken into topical chapters for watching in pieces, and is designed to inspire and teach those who might be ready to "go citi-j" themselves," says Bill Densmore, director of the Media Giraffe Project at the UMass Amherst.

Besides excerpts of the MPG2006 sessions, and a few clips from J-Lab's October 2006 Citizen Journalism summit, it includes clips from several of the 18 on-site videotaped interviews conducted with "Giraffe prospects" over the last 18 months. In all, the remarks of 44 people are featured.

The video is broken into 15 chapters, each of which can be indvidually launched and played from an easily accessible submenu to facilitate short-form classroom use. We are distributing it -- for the cost of duplication, mailing and handling -- under a Creative Commons license, which will allow anyone to duplicate and remix it for non-commercial use as long as they license it in the same way and give us credit.

J-Lab, the Institute for Interactive Journalism at the University of Maryland, granted permission to videotape and use portions of presentations at J-Lab's October 2006 Citizen Journalism Summit Washington, D.C., and joins the University of Massachusetts and the Media Giraffe Project in granting blanket permission under a Creative Commons license for use and reproduction of the video for non-commercial purposes, with attribution.

For additional copies on DVD, send request to: mediagiraffe@densmore.newshare.com. Copies will be shipped for $9.50 in duplication, mailing and handling fees, payable by CREDIT CARD via PayPal.

A few DVD playback devices have been found to lose the audio of one of 44 people interviewed in the video, because of a mastering ideosyncracy. Users who encounter the problem can request a remastered version at no charge.

Chapters listed

Introduction -- 4:05

Pamphleteers -- 6:12 From coffee house to Internet

Shared Experience: 2:31 Connecting islands, and towns.

What is journalism? 6:03 Some fresh ideas.

Journalism and democracy: 2:19 A new activist/participant role?.

Technology: 2:30 Change and opportunity

Motivations: Community acceptance, credibility, accuracy 14:12

Business reality: 10:53 Finding a way to get paid

Ownership: 5:36 What drives sustainability?

Nuts and bolts: 4:02 Staffing, marketing

Getting the word out: 2:44 Guerilla and print marketing

Impact: Taking on the watchdog role 4:17

Diversity: 4:23 Reflecting the greater society

Education: 1:21 A common bond with teachers

Lessons learned: 4:23 An amazing opportunity

WHO'S FEATURED? Forty-four voices

Roughly in order of appearance:

• John Hinderaker, PowerLine.com blog, Minneapolis, Minn.
• Norman Sims, professor, University of Massachusetts
• Courtney Lowery, NewWest.net, Missoula, Mont.
• Liz George, Baristanet, Upper Montclair, N.J.
• Chris Grotke, iBrattleboro, Brattleboro, Vt.
• Lee Rainey, Pew Center on Internet & Society, Washington, D.C.
• David Platt, Island Monitor, Maine
• Richard Anderson, VillageSoup.com, Rockland, Maine
• John McManus, Grade The News, San Jose, Calif.
• Tom Rosenstiel, Project on Excellence in Journalism, Washington, D.C.
• Jeff Jarvis, professor, New York University
• Amy Webb, web developer, Philadelphia, Pa.
• John Donnelly, NOLA.COM, New Orleans, La.
• Bob Mann, Philbrick James Forum, Deerfield, N.H.
• Wally Bowen, Mountain Area Information Network, Asheville, N.C.
• Brant Houston, Investigative Reporters and Editors, Columbia, Mo.
• Adrian Holovaty, ChicagoCrime.org, Chicago, Ill.
• Barr Parr, Coastsider.com, Montara, Calif.
• Sandy Gussing, Atwater Sunfish Gazette, Atwater, Minn.
• Chris Busby, The Bollard, Portland, Maine
• Maureen Mann, Philbrick James Forum, Deerfield, N.H.
• Donna Detlefsen, Atwater Sunfish Gazette, Atwater, Minn.
• Lise LePage, iBrattleboro.com, Brattleboro, Vt.
• Margaret Weigelt, Atwater Sunfish Gazette, Atwater, Minn.
• Christine Stuart, CTNewsJunkie.com, Windsor, Conn.
• Paul Bass, The New Haven (Conn.) Independent
• Brian Dominick, The NewStandard.net, Syracuse, N.Y.
• Chris Peck, The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn.
• David Beers, The Tyee, Vancouver, B.C.
• Peter Kraslovsky, The Local Onliner, Carlesbad, Calif.
• Jeremy Iggers, Twin Cities Daily Planet, Minneapolis, Minn.
• Liz George, Barista.net, Upper Montclair, N.J.
• Tom Hall, city manager, Rockland, Maine
• Tammy Kolmosky, auto dealer, Rockland, Maine
• Tom Stites, Center for Public Integrity, Washington, D.C.
• Sandy Close, New America News Service, San Francisco, Calif.
• Ule Botzorjorns, Project Harmony, Waitsfield, Vt.
• Lew Friedland, Madison Commons, Madison, Wis.
• Ilona Meagher, ePluribus Media, Caledonia, Ill.
• Scott Hall, KXRE, Grand Rapids, Minn.
• Connie Feig, The Atwater Sunfish Gazette, Atwater, Minn.
• Charles Lewis, Center for Public Integrity, Washington, D.C.
• Gordon Joseloff, WestportNOW.com, Westport, Conn.

Production credits

Narrator Bill Densmore The Media Giraffe Project At the University of Massachusetts

Editor Richard Hood FlowMediaDesign Amherst, Mass.

Executive Producer Dr. Norman H. Sims Professor, University of Massachusetts Journalism Program

Camera operators:

Bill Densmore Various locations

Michael Deehan Deerfield, N.H.

Griff Wigley Atwater, Minn. Grand Rapids, Minn.

J.D. Lasica (Courtney Lowery interview)

Still photography Ilona Meager Jemima Kiss Steve Garfield

Underwriting credits

Production assistance provided by:

The Blandin Foundation Grand Rapids, Minn.

The Ford Foundation New York, N.Y.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst, Mass.