Who is a Journalist Now?

a Making Media Connections roundtable discussion; FREE and open to the public

This just in from Community Media Workshop...

The Chicago Community Trust’s Community News Matters initiative and Community Media Workshop invite you to this roundtable discussion.

When: June 10, 3-5 p.m.
Where: Columbia College’s Film Row Cinema, 8th Floor, 1104 South Wabash, Chicago.

We’re all creating and reporting news and stories for and about our communities, our region, and beyond. But the more common online news technologies become, the clearer it gets that you can deliver news without doing journalism.

Join us for a public forum to help frame a new set of questions for the coming year around journalism, technology, new business models and the people helping to shape a new path for Chicago’s information society.

Who’s creating and reporting news and stories for and about our communities, our region, and beyond? Are online outlets supplementing or supplanting daily newspapers or television networks in delivering news? Come discuss the latest in the changing media landscape:
• Who really is a journalist now, anyway?
• How has the explosion in online news shifted the types of news we produce?
• How is the information ecosystem shifting away from traditional media outlets?
• What do these changes mean for our neighborhoods?
• Are we getting the news we need to make better decisions than before?

The forum will also feature a brief report out on the results of the Workshop’s second annual online news survey.

Concurrent Breakouts


The Business: As news reporting moves online publishers and writers face the same issue as traditional media. How do we raise revenue to pay for content? Some new news outlets are starting to make money and while others are still discovering what the new business model might be.
Panelists: Steve Rhodes (Beachwood Reporter), Rich Gordon (Northwestern University), Dave Greising (Chi News Co-Op), Sherry Skalko (Online News Association)
Moderator: Toure Mohammed (Beansoup Times)
Scribe: Gordon Mayer (National People’s Action Network)

Influential Voices: Bloggers have become new publishers as they post content and build audiences. How do online writers find audiences? How does news happen with these new outlets?
Panelists: Veronica Arreola (Viva La Feminista), Andrew Huff (GapersBlock), Charles Mombo (Chocolate City), Teresa Puente (Chicanisima)
Moderator: Steve Franklin (Community Media Workshop)
Scribe: Barbara Iverson (Chicago Talks)

Platforms & Tech: The shifting media landscape has not only blurred the lines between professional journalists, bloggers and citizen journalists but is also being shaped by new forms of technology that go beyond the printing press and network television.
Panelists: Tracy Schmidt (ChicagoNow), Brad Flora (Windy Citizen), Ernie Sanders (Chicago Digital Cities), Justin Kaufman (Chicago Public Media)
Moderator: Dan Sinker (Columbia College Chicago)
Scribe: Justin Massa (Metro Chicago Information Center)

The Locals/Communities: One characteristic of the online news environment are geo sites that focus on specific communities. Hear about several neighborhood specific news and information outlets. Panelists: Suzanne McBride (Austin Talks), Glenn Reedus (S. Suburban Publishing), Lorraine Swanson (Lake Effect News)
Moderator: Tony Olivia (Chicago Tribune)
Scribe: Ann Marie Mitchell (Journalist)

4:45 p.m. Recap in the big room
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FYI: I used to work at Community Media Workshop.

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34th annual Bicycle Safety Day is June 6

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This just in...

Join your friends and neighbors at the annual Skokie Bicycle Safety Day, Sunday, June 6, 2010 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Oakton Park parking lot, 4701 Oakton Street (Oakton Street at Knox Avenue).

Children through age 14 can participate in games and win prizes. A bicycle safety course will test their knowledge of the law and their ability to properly handle a bicycle. Bicyclists can register their bicycles with the Skokie Police Department this day as well.

Members of the Skokie Park District, Skokie Police Department and the Skokie Fire Department will be on hand to promote pedestrian and traffic safety.

Skokie Traffic Safety Commission's Paul Pitalis, Chairman mentioned for the first time two Masonic Lodges based in Skokie will also be there to offer their ILCHIP (child identification) program.

The Skokie Traffic Safety Commission sponsors Traffic Safety Week. Traffic Safety Week is designed to further public awareness of traffic and pedestrian safety 52 weeks a year.

The rain date for this event is Sunday, June 13, 2010.

For more information, contact the Traffic Engineering Division at 847-933-8231.
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All Skokie Photo Project: It will take a village...

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The All Skokie Photo Project is not just about enhancing the contemporary photography collection of the Skokie Historical Society, promoting pride in Skokie and helping bridge the gap among people of different backgrounds. It is also about everyone getting creativity and having some fun as I, with other photographers, aim to make pictures of everyone in Skokie during the coming year. Granted, we might not get a picture of everyone who lives, works or goes to school here, or ever did live, work or go to school here, but we are aiming to invite them all to participate.

The plan is that on May 22, 2010, I'll make the first photograph, an aerial group picture of everyone gathered for the opening ceremonies at the Festival of Cultures at Oakton Park, which start at 1 p.m. Cross your fingers that we'll have good weather. Plan B is to make the photo sometime on Sunday.

Launching the project at Festival of Cultures is ideal as this year it celebrates its 20th anniversary. This also happens to be a census year. Skokie will not only be documented statistically, but photographically too.

Soon after the launch, the aerial group photograph will be printed very large, approximately 7 x 5 feet, and exhibited at the Skokie Heritage Museum. The exhibition is tentatively scheduled to start in early August and continuing through Fall. It would be viewable at an opening reception, during regular museum hours and Skokie's Backlot Bash and other civic events.

Throughout the year there will be other shoots: more large scale group shoots, shoots at the Farmers' Market, block parties, parades, schools, senior centers, workplaces and other place in Skokie. Just to elaborate on a couple now, I'm hoping to do large group pictures at Niles North's and Niles West's homecomings. Hoping to get permission to shoot on the Skokie Swift train and at the station.

Some great images will be made of families, friends, neighbors, students, workers, worshipers and others. The images will be beautiful, funny, revealing, unusual--and all valuable.

Emphasis will be placed on documenting real people as they really are.

Images will be exhibited online via a new website being developed, SkokieNet and in public spaces throughout the Village as soon as possible after each shoot.

Skokie is known for its diversity, but we've only scratched the surface in understanding how diverse and rich we are. People in Skokie have so many great stories to share and this project has the potential to bring them forward. I think that even the biggest fans of Skokie and those who've lived or worked here the longest will be able to say that they learned something new about the Village or someone in it through this project.

Inclusivity is an important feature of this project in order for the archive to be most relevant now and 100 years from now and continue to be maintained. Every person, business and school will be invited to get involved in some way.

I'm excited to see how Skokie folks embrace this project and get involved. I've been conceptualizing this project for a long time and doing a lot of homework in order to make it a reality. That said, there's so much more homework to do. I welcome everyone's input and ideas. I also welcome everyone's help. We are working on identifying sponsors, contributors, endorsers, collaborators and friends.

The growing list of official supporters includes the Illinois Arts Council through the Skokie Fine Arts Commission; the Skokie Park District; SkokieNet; the Village of Skokie; Print Xpress and my own company Kring Lerner Group. Friends of the All Skokie Photo Project already include Erica Mui, Aleks Krapivkin, Scott Holtz, Frances Roehm, Rick Moskovitz, Linda Quinn, Angeles "Jelly" Carandang, Rachel Taxman, Rebecca Taxman, Erica Minchella, Richard Reeder, Sally Chapralis, Ken Kring, Nancy Kring Corbige, and Joel Lerner.

I think this project has will be fun for everyone involved as we rock Skokie and beyond.

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Facebook users can RSVP for shoot #1, the launch at the Festival of Cultures, on the Facebook event page.

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"...and the mother wasn't home."

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It has been long time since this phrase has been a staple in our lives, but even nowadays I can say to my mother "...and the mother wasn't home" and she'll know it is a reference to her caution and especially her annoyance at a certain kind of news report. When we were kids, even well into our teens, she'd not let us do much in the house when she was gone, because she was sure that if there were to be an accident, that broadcast news reports would end with "...and the mother wasn't home".

Today another broadcast news story was delivered similarly. If she heard it I'm sure she again replied as I did with this: And where was the father?

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Help Neighbors: Food Drive Volunteers Needed April 17

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This in from Cathy Struzynski...

Volunteers are still needed for the 12:30 - 2:00 shift for the April 17 Niles Township Food Pantry Food Drive. We will be requesting donations from shoppers at the Dominick's in Morton Grove, located on Dempster, just west of Waukegan.

Anyone available to help our neighbors in Niles Township during that time, please let me know.

Thanks for your help.

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Cathy is reachable at cathystruzynski@yahoo.com.

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