Could You Be A Citizen Reporter?

2010 is shaping up to be an interesting year for Community Media in Leicester and Leicestershire.

Firstly is the development of a Community Media Hub in the Leicester Mercury. It’s a similiar relationship to the one Citizens Eye has with the Library Service at the Learning & Information Library on Bishop Street – use of a computer, telephone etc. to promote community involvement through community media. No strings attached, no payment, no agenda…other than getting people involved.  Let’s see how it goes.

Secondly, the opening of the Community Media Training School’s second venue. It currently operates at the Learning Centre, inside the Learning & Information Library and I’m now taking over the Tuesday 11am hour at BBC Radio Leicester’s excellent training facility. I hope this opportunity will allow the development of links between our Citizen Reporters and the BBC Radio presenters upstairs.

Thirdly, the Soar Community magazine continues to grow in popularity as I strive to make Community Media something more than just photocopied newsletters and web based information. A full colour professional looking magazine for all communities to raise their profiles and shout about achievements. The 5th issue is due any day and has been increased to 10,000 copies distributed across the city & county.

Finally, I will be holding a series of training workshops for those interested in becoming Citizen Reporters at the Leicester Mercury and hope to start covering city council ward meetings in a proactive way. A new Community Media Equipment Library where the Citizen Reporters can borrow the necessary kit to cover ward meetings, events etc will open citizen reporting to all abilities.

It’s shaping up to be an interesting year especially with a general election at some point. I hope that Citizens Eye can play its part in getting everyone heard in a positive way and look forward to developing the ‘Networked Journalism’ concept I often talk about with the Mercury Editor Keith Perch….the professional journalists working with the amateurs to create better news coverage.

If you want to find out more just drop me an email editor@citizenseye.org

John Coster

Editor