The Reader and 1st Sky Omaha News will hold a free online summit on Sunday, Jan. 17 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. to introduce the concept of citizen journalism to Omahans.
Interested attendees can register for their free ticket on Eventbrite. For more information on the event, visit the Facebook page.
“Journalism as Activism: Everyday People Keeping Society Accountable” is an inaugural event providing prospective reporters with an opportunity to learn about why citizen journalism is the future of media. The event aims to empower reporters to tell the stories of underrepresented populations through activism and on-the-scene documenting. The sponsors are currently planning a summer 2021 program that further teaches principles of citizen journalism to aspiring reporters and documenters.
The summit, which will feature local and national presenters, will introduce the principles of citizen journalism and ways people can get involved in the field. The program will consist of ten presentations from journalism experts:
- Introduction by Dawaune Lamont Hayes, founder and director of NOISE
- Digging into data by Matt Wynn, USA Today reporter
- Writing basics by Chris Bowling, The Reader news reporter
- Citizen journalism and activism by Bear Alexander, reporter and ProBLAC organizer
- The basics of backpack tech by Franque Thompson, Emmy-nominated and Associated Press award-winning reporter at Q13 Fox Seattle
- Security in reporting by Ja Keen Fox, owner of JaKeen Fox Solutions
- The value of documenting by Darryl Holliday, reporter and City Bureau news lab director
- Broadcast journalism and on-air training by “Buddi3 Da Gawd” (Mark McGaugh), reporter, radio host and record producer
- Journalism as a career by Karen Weber, UNO School of Communication professor
- Closing comments by John Heaston, publisher of The Reader and El Perico
“Journalism as Activism: Everyday People Keeping Society Accountable” will be held via Zoom and live streamed to the event’s Facebook page. The goal of the event is to share journalism training opportunities with interested Omahans, whether through real-world internship experience or higher education.