I’m also fascinated by the potential of non-ivory-tower journalism. I don’t write much about San Diego but I did just help bust the senator blocking the senate spending transparency bill.

I think the term “citizen journalist” will go away in a few years because it’ll be akin to saying “wet water”.

In other words, anybody with a passing interest in politics, economics or their community that writes will in some sense be a journalist. The only thing preventing that mindset in the past was the expense of a printing press.

of course there is the idea that unless you get paid for it … you’re not really a _______________ (fill in the blank)

As a believer in free market capitalism I’d say that’s true but then there’s the whole Pro-Am revolution to contend with:

Pro-Ams - people pursuing amateur activities to professional standards - are an increasingly important part of our society and economy. For Pro-Ams, leisure is not passive consumerism but active and participatory, it involves the deployment of publicly accredited knowledge and skills, often built up over a long career, which has involved sacrifices and frustrations. The 20th century witnessed the rise of professionals in medicine, science, education, and politics. In one field after another, amateurs and their ramshackle organizations were driven out by people who knew what they were doing and had certificates to prove it. The Pro-Am Revolution argues this historic shift is reversing. We’re witnessing the flowering of Pro-Am, bottom-up self-organisation and the crude, all or nothing, categories of professional or amateur will need to be rethought. Based on in-depth interviews with a diverse range of Pro-Ams and containing new data about the extent of Pro-Am activity in the UK, this report proposes new policies to support and encourage valuable Pro-Am activity.

Wow. that’s awesome stuff. I always thought of Pro-Am in terms of golf where they pair an Amateur with a Pro.

Amateur is one of my favorite words because the root definition implies the person is a lover of ______ (fill in the blank) and that does not mean they are not good at it, just that they do not earn their money that way as a professional would…. the word has really gotten away from this root.

I love adding the “pro” to the “am” which would imply a level of professionalism, even if no money is exchanged.

I regards to the citizen journalist, this is really a great way to redefine.

Although I think I would prefer to go with a professional doctor with a license over a Pro Am….

Thanks for brining this to my attention, great stuff!

The indymedia movement has been doing this for years. http://sandiegoindymedia.org