Daily Thoughts 4/12/2009

Ralph Waldo Emerson Portrait

Daily Thoughts 4/12/2009

We The Media, Grassroots Journalism By The People For The People by Dan Gillmor

In We The Media, Dan Gillmor lists four characteristics of an excellent blog, voice, focus, real reporting, and good writing. I like to think my own blog has an original voice-- my own, a specific focus on books, librarianship, and publishing, takes the time to talk about real issues, and tries to be entertaining and informative. I am of course still working on these things. The center change in journalism according to Dan Gillmor is that it is no longer a lecture but a conversation between writer and reader.

Sometimes when you are reading a book you learn something which surprises you. This book is available through a Creative Commons license. This means you can download and read it, but not sell it. Here is the web address. http://oreilly.com/catalog/wemedia/book/index.csp . I wish I had known this earlier, I would not have waited for the library to finish labeling and adding security sensors to the trade paperback I had just read.

I don't think this book really needs a deep review because it is readily available go and read it online if you can. If you write for the web for a living this book is pivotal. If you believe in citizen journalism this book is excellent as well. One of the opening quotes is "Freedom of the press is limited to those who own one." -- A.J. Liebing. This book shows you how you can partake in the press through the internet.