Citizens Report: Reclaiming Journalism for the citizens of India
Citizens Report combines Citizen Journalism workshop with a ready-to-use website that belongs to those who report & participate.
A propos de vous
A propos de vous
Prénom
Lavanya
Nom
Varadrajan
URL Twitter
A propos de votre organisation
Nom
JM Foundation for Excellence in Journalism
Site Web
Pays
Inde, MM
Pays dans lesquels ce projet crée un impact social
Inde, XX
Votre organisation est-elle une
organisation à but non lucratif
Depuis combien de temps votre organisation opère-t-elle ?
1‐5 années
Les informations que vous fournissez ici seront utilisées pour combler toutes les parties de votre profil qui ont été laissées en blanc, comme les intérêts,les informations sur l'organisation, et le site Web. Aucune information de contact sera rendu publique. S'il vous plaît décochez ici si vous ne voulez pas que cela se produise..
Innovation
Titre du formulaire de participation
Citizens Report: Reclaiming Journalism for the citizens of India
Sélectionnez la phase qui s'applique le mieux à votre solution
Croissance (votre pilote fonctionne et commence à prendre de l'ampleur)
Depuis combien de temps le projet existe-t-il ?
En place depuis 1 à 5 ans
Le besoin : décrivez le besoin auquel répond votre solution et la taille/dynamique de la ou des communautés auxquelles vous vous adressez.
There is an increasing disconnect between the lives of the ordinary citizens and what the mainstream media choose to report. The 'reader as citizen' has been eviscerated and replaced with 'reader as consumer'. So citizens find it difficult to find information about problems and issues that concern them.
At the same time there has to be a realization that citizens cannot be supplicants waiting for state or market machinery to deliver; they have to be engaged in getting their needs addressed recognizing how their own problems and concerns stack up against those of their fellow citizens.
Citizen journalism offers a concrete way in which they can first understand the ramifications of issues, report it, and in so doing arrive at solutions. Citizen Journalism implies an active citizenry who are willing participants in finding ways to solve problems in their neighbourhoods and also in informing that which is worthy of emulation.
The target for this programme includes all the cities and towns in India where we can take the Citizen Journalism Workshop. And then we can move to the taluka and village levels. This is an idea that is only limited by our resources.
La solution : expliquez en quoi consiste votre solution et dans quelle mesure elle est innovante. Comment comptez-vous mettre votre solution à disposition des utilisateurs et des bénéficiaires ? Soyez précis !
The Citizen Journalism programme is designed as a two-step solution.
First, what we do is to hold Citizen Journalism Workshops (we have held eight) where citizens are invited to participate. These three-day workshops are designed to give the participants working knowledge of civic laws/issues, policing issues, and consumer rights issues. Also, sessions are held on RTI and PILs. The basic idea is to share with the participants information that the citizen needs to be able to negotiate as an informed person vis-a-vis the state and the market. Civic and policing issues are those that directly affect the citizen vis-a-vis the state, and consumer issues are those that affect the citizen vis-a-vis the market. RTI and PIL are the legal recourses that every citizen has and it is necessary to share how these can be used. Also, sessions are held on reporting, writing and even using cell phones to do stories from their neighbourhoods. What these sessions do is to empower the citizens in finding solutions to the problem even as they help them in reporting.
These sessions are organized at a convenient location, and people are asked via media, emailers, notices to participate in the workshop and become citizen journalists.
Second, the website (CitizensReport.in) is unveiled for them at the end telling them how their work has a ready outlet that belongs to them, as we, the organizers, are merely facilitators. We also have sessions on ethics and laws so that the participants understand the difference between factual understanding of an event and merely venting their opinion.
Le modèle : donnez un exemple détaillé de la manière dont votre solution fait la différence grâce à l'utilisation des technologies de l'information et des médias.
What Citizens Report (CR) does is to not only provide the necessary start-up skills to be a reporter, it also provides the citizens with their own website. Citizens Report is the website whose contributors are citizens who have participated in the Citizen Journalism Workshops.
The biggest problem for citizens is that even if they are able to write about some issue in their neighbourhood, the mainstream media do not provide them with a platform to share the information with fellow citizens. While we make it clear to the participants that they should use the mainstream media (in fact, we have a session devoted to it), we tell them that once the workshop is over, they are all reporters for a website that is their own. At times we even share a rather simple statistic – the largest newspaper in town may have 20 reporters, but this website has say 40 (whatever be the number of participants) and they come from different parts of the city/town and hence there is no need for them to feel inferior to any newsroom.
In fact, our aim is to take this programme to every town so that even if there remains just one active contributor, the reporting network of this site would be more than any other site. Also, we tell them how a single photograph taken from a cell phone can become a story. So the Citizen Journalism Workshop with CR uses technology and media to ensure that citizens become active participants in their neighbourhoods and communities. Citizen Journalists from Mumbai, for example, are doing a weekly price watch from across the city and putting it up on the website.
Le marché : qui sont vos pairs et vos concurrents ? Comment ces acteurs peuvent-ils gêner votre réussite ou votre croissance ?
There are mainstream media organizations who say they have Citizen Journalists and then there are for-profit organizations that use citizens to populate their websites. In both cases, citizens are used as journalists to increase content and to ensure popularity of that particular news channel. Citizen journalism is being used in these forms, and this is different from Civic Journalism where mainstream or for-profit media work in close co-ordination with the citizens to deliver meaningful content for the readers.
Citizens Report and the workshop that leads to it is different because JM Foundation for Excellence in Journalism is a facilitator in the process. While for legal purposes the site is owned by the foundation, the idea is that we are doing the administrative work and the workshops as a coaching exercise as trustees of the citizens.
This makes our effort quite challenging given our resources. We cannot have a telecom company be the sole sponsor of our workshops, we cannot put hoardings of sponsors to defray costs, and yet we have to compete against the perception that there are these other media outlets who are also doing Citizen Journalism.
Impact social
This Entry is about (Issues)
Point de départ : nous voulons que vous nous racontiez le moment où l'idée vous est venue. Racontez où et quand le ou les fondateurs ont compris dans quelle mesure cette solution pouvait changer le monde.
One of the members of JM Foundation was engaged in a conversation about how new media can be used for providing quality education given the paucity of good teachers. The person on the other side was an expert on using new media and he suggested rather casually that given the work of the Foundation and the fact that we were engaged in coaching journalists, shouldn't we be doing something for citizens to ensure that their voices are heard, especially in a media environment where it is difficult to find concerns of the common people.
This member had been associated with the media reform movement in the United States and was familiar with civic journalism. The very same day he returned and discussed the idea and within the next 48 hours, the idea was thrashed out, the website registered, the first programme announced, and in about 45 days the first workshop was held.
It was during the discussions on the programme between two directors that the potential of the programme and what it could do was outlined. Wherever we have held the workshop, we have had phenomenal response from senior Supreme Court judges to police officers to consumer rights activists and citizens.
Précisez l'ampleur et la portée de l'impact social de votre solution à ce jour.
The Citizens Report and Citizen Journalism Workshop works at two levels -- at the level of the individual participant and also as a collective of Citizen Journalists.
First, the workshops provide working knowledge of issues that concern the participants, put them in touch with experts, and also teach them reporting and writing skills. Also, they get a platform that belongs to them and which they can use to share stories from their neighbourhoods. At this level the initiative reaches all participants who can contribute by either by reporting or by going about effecting change.
The latter can be at the level of the individual where some ideas that she has come across, some resource person she has come to know, or some way of gathering information that she has learnt can be utilized to bring about the desired change. For example, participants have become active in Right to Information groups. At the aggregate level the group could come together and initiate changes or say one person in a city could get in touch with a participant in another city using this network and collaborate on collective action. Finally, as reporters their stories on the web can be shared with others.
Quel est l'impact envisagé de votre projet dans les un à cinq ans à venir ? Votre idée peut-elle être reproduite ? Si oui, comment ?
We would like to cover all state capitals in the next 12 months, the next set of towns by population over the next two years and ideally cover all district headquarters (total of 640) in the next five years. We would like to conduct at the rate of at least two workshops every week. We believe this is possible because the model is replicable. Once we prepare the reading and session materials in the local Indian language (text, audio and video), we will tie up with local organizations to deliver it to the participants. With a functional multilingual website, uploading stories done in the local language would not be a problem since we already have stories in different languages. We will train those who will finally deliver the material and hence make the programme easily replicable.
Les projets gagnants sont ceux qui expliquent clairement comment ils comptent assurer et maintenir leur croissance. Indiquez votre plan de développement de l'impact sur six mois.
Double the present number of Citizen Journalists trained
Les tâches de 6 mois
Tâche 1
Material Preparation in Hindi -- textual material
Tâche 2
Culling out videos from those already recorded and editing it for circulation.
Tâche 3
Ensure CJ workshops in the remaining major metros.
Et maintenant, voyez plus grand ! Indiquez votre plan de développement de l'impact sur 12 mois.
Build a team of at least 3000 Citizen Journalists
Les tâches de 12 mois
Tâche 1
Tie up with local organizations to deliver the programme and train the trainers.
Tâche 2
Conduct direct programmes in 10 towns.
Tâche 3
Hold a National Meet of Citizen Journalists
Combien de personnes ont été touchées par votre projet ?
101 - 1,000
Combien de personnes pourraient être touchées par votre projet au cours des trois prochaines années ?
Plus de 10,000
Viabilité
Expliquez comment votre entreprise, programme, service ou produit est structuré.
ONG
Quels obstacles ont freiné la réussite de votre projet jusqu'à présent ? Comment prévoyez-vous de surmonter ces problèmes et les autres à mesure que votre projet se développera ?
The biggest challenge is one of resources. As a fledgling non-profit, we rely on a team of three (all of them part time) to plan, deliver this programme along with all the other activities of the Foundation, which includes training journalists, running a 14-month Journalism education programme and also planning a High School Journalism programme that will dovetail with Citizen Journalism. On one hand, we want to raise funds (with our regulatory approvals in the pipeline), we want to partner with other organizations, and also use volunteers. We can overcome the challenges because our ability to deliver a lot from relatively small amounts is a lot because the basic resources for the programme are in-house and free, and we have had a lot of support from facilitators all over the country.
Comment voyez-vous l'évolution des secteurs des technologies de l'information et des médias sur les 10 prochaines années ? Comment votre solution s'adaptera-t-elle à cet environnement changeant ? De quelle manière votre solution pourrait-elle entraîner ce changement ?
We are likely to see more user-generated content in mainstream media, and also the telecom sector becoming an even stronger player in delivering news. This could be utilized very effectively by Citizen Journalists because they would be able to deliver their news using cell phones and the cell phones would be the choice for accessing the Net (In India TRAI data already points in this direction). We would have to create smaller modules built around shared interests (other than location) to make sure that shared citizen communities come together.
L'échec n'est pas toujours une option. Si votre solution ne parvient pas à prendre de la vitesse au cours des deux prochaines années, quelles sont les autres applications de l'idée que vous pourriez explorer ?
For us Citizen Journalism programme is an idea that has to be pursued. We already plan to initiate a High School Journalism Programme where we will teach students to do stories from their neighbourhoods and all their work will also be there in Citizens Report. The sticking block for us in getting this going has been preparation of material, which we will do because lacking resources, it will just take some more time. This offshoot of Citizen Journalism takes the solution even closer and does so with a long-term view. Once we are are able to reach students and we have a model that we think will work with a small participating contribution from each school, then it will become a movement. Also, since these projects and the work of the Foundation is not designed for quarterly results, we will keep at it.
Donnez des détails sur vos choix en expliquant votre plan de financement.
Each participant contributes towards defraying the cost of the programme, and that has been the basic source of funding. We find that participants are willing in some cases. The amount varies from students to working people to senior citizens. And till now we have managed to do these programmes based on the contribution of the participants since our other costs are really low. We have partnered with local colleges, Press Associations and the like to ensure greater reach. We believe that small amounts raised via the website, occasional donations, and individual contributions can sustain the programme. We have NOT approached funding agencies or companies formally since we are waiting for Section 80G exemption status. Once that is in, we will begin the formal process of seeking funds.
Quels sont vos différents partenariats ?
We have partnered with organizations for the different workshops held. In Mumbai, we partnered with Department of Libraries (Government of Maharashtra), K C College, and St Andrew's College. In Goa, we partnered with the Goa Union of Journalists. In Bengaluru, it was the Press Club, Bangalore. In Hyderabad, it was the Press Club, Hyderabad. In Ahmedabad, it was the Gujarat Media Club. In Mumbai, the partnerships help us get the space, while in the other places, we have had the support of the Press Club, enabling appropriate speakers and reach.
Quel type d'équipe (salariés, volontaires, etc.) vous permettra d'atteindre les objectifs de croissance décrits à la section Impact social ?
1) Staff: Three (3). Plan & organize workshops, ensure the network is primed for continuing reporting. Be present at the workshops for monitoring.
2) Volunteers: Variable. Actual running of the programme at a particular venue.
3) Programme Director: 1 (either a member of the Foundation who comes pro bono or a full-time professional). Provide vision, oversee programme, prepare reading packets, and audio and video materials.
4) Administrator: 1 (equivalent to the Secretary of the Foundation) who provides additional leadership and help, as required.
Changemakers est un espace de collaboration et de soutien. Indiquez les ressources communautaires dont vous auriez besoin pour développer durablement votre initiative. Sélectionnez toutes les réponses qui s'appliquent
Investissement, b. Ressources humaines/talents, Marketing/médias, Recherche/informations, Collaboration/réseautage, Innovation/idées.
Indiquez les ressources que vous pourriez offrir pour aider d'autres initiatives. Sélectionnez toutes les réponses qui s'appliquent
b. Ressources humaines/talents, Marketing/médias, Recherche/informations, Collaboration/réseautage, Innovation/idées, Tutorat.
Détaillez les besoins ou les offres d'aide indiqués ci-dessus et/ou suggérez d'autres catégories de soutien qui ne figurent pas dans la liste.
Some material or non-material help (volunteers) can help us scale the programme. Also, some help in technical expertise could help us make the website and how news is gathered and disseminated more accessible. Also, linkages with other organizations who could take this idea to there areas of operation would certainly ensure the reach of the programme in a much shorter time than we have planned. So linkages with other groups who share the idea and vision would be the best way to take it across the country, and also in some ways it would be nice to see it replicated in other countries.
Résumé
Définissez votre entreprise, programme, service ou produit en une ou deux phrases courtes.
Citizens Report enables participants to reach out & reach across. It enables with information & builds networks for change.
Expliquez en quoi votre solution est innovante en une ou deux phrases courtes.
Citizens Report combines Citizen Journalism workshop with a ready-to-use website that belongs to those who report & participate.
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