I'm going. I just registered for NN12 in Providence, RI. It will be my first Netroots Nation. I'm very excited & optimistic. HawkWife wants to go, too; we'll likely register her this week, hopefully before prices increase.
Are you planning to be there? Got anything planned - are you part of a proposed panel, or going to have a booth or a table? You can register now to attend - if you belong to an organization that might have compatible interests, see if they'll sponsor you.
I'm one of many people who proposed a panel. This morning, right after I'd registered, I received a notification that the panel had made it through the first round of cuts...talk about serendipity! (Or would that be synchronicity? A bit of both, perhaps?)
Anywho - having made it through only the first round of cuts, there's absolutely no guarantee that the panel will make it through to the final selection. But that doesn't mean it's not worth exploring, and below the orange sigil I'll tell you a bit about the proposed panel - Citizen Journalism: Reinforcing Our Voices Through Social Media As Core Netroots Media - and the questions I'm hoping it will answer.
Your insights & comments will be useful. If the panel is selected, we'll have made a good bit of progress toward gathering more information about what the panel means to folks like yourself. If the panel isn't selected, at least we'll have that information in order to proceed along the same path of discussion, discovery & development toward a more effective way to provide voice to more people, and to foster the development of people-powered, fact-based citizen journalism.
OK - you've made it across the sacred orange sigil. Here's some preliminary information: I won't be identifying the suggested panelists at this time. I've been in touch with two of the four, but without having a full consensus I don't feel right about putting them on the spot. Truth be told, I put all of them on the spot initially, as I'd not contacted them prior to proposing the panel. I want to be sure that they are only named after they've explicitly confirmed that it's ok.
Now, about the panel itself: it's called Citizen Journalism: Reinforcing Our Voices Through Social Media As Core Netroots Media. Here's the description:
The term "citizen journalism" has rapidly evolved to incorporate several forms of social media as well as represent the voices of many formerly unrepresented - and several under-represented - groups. This panel will explore the possibilities of coordinating efforts to build a reliable, fact-checked & progressive foundation for news & information that combines & augments various technologies (blogging, video, Facebook & Twitter, etc.) with the voices of the people as represented through a myriad of communities, cultures & beliefs.
And here's the goal:
Fact-checking & accuracy - combined with immediacy, transparency, integrity & reliability - are elements that are often wished for & strived for in every day communications, but we as a progressive community still lack some of the coordination & structure needed to be even more effective. Panelists would relay their thoughts & ideas, attendees could ask question & proffer suggestions/alternatives; ideally, by the end of the session, we'd have at least a few first steps if not a basic starting plan on how to proceed toward greater effective communication of accurate information.
As part of the panel proposal process, submissions must also provide some questions that organizers hope to answer. Here's the ones I'd listed:
Question 1 * What role can voices for under-served communities, orgs, events & issues play, & how will they be represented?
Question 2 * How can we expand the presence & acceptance of citizen journalists in govt & communities?
Question 3 * If I'm already a popular blogger, how does this help me and why should I care?
That's it, in a nutshell.
Now, what's the purpose of this diary? Twofold: first & foremost, to get people thinking about how we could coordinate more effective communications, with more reliable information, across a diverse community. Ideally, this will serve to focus on a way to incorporate underserved communities which are often unable to participate & benefit from the rise of teh intertubes. Second, this post ("diary") also serves to begin the process of advertising & alerting folks to the panel; in the event that it makes it through the process and actually appears at NN12, you'll be expecting it. And, ideally, you'll have an idea or two about what to expect based on the comments from yourself & others below.
So - let's get started. What do you think we need to do or keep in mind if we are to build a more effective means for citizens to communicate important news & information? What areas do you think could use help, and what do you know about how to alert community thought-leaders about any potential ways to help them help their communities in this respect?
How can we work together to best ensure that we can quickly assemble, vet & disseminate information?
What else?