Online communities strengthen journalism

Good sources have always been the lifeblood of good journalism. And today, sources are available as never before. Jeff Jarvis says the modern journalist’s role should increasingly become that of community organiser. It pays off for both: engaging audiences improves journalism and transforms passive readers into active, contributing members. And membership, he says, “is at the heart of this new journalism economy.”
For reported.ly, this couldn’t ring more true. We take pride when tweets we publish about events in Burundi find their way onto our Burundi Twitter list, the very community we rely upon. The same goes for Yemen, Ecuador, Nepal, the refugee crisis and any emerging story we’ve covered comprehensively. Success for us is when people in those communities update us with new information in real-time?—?translating statements, correcting us if we’re wrong or contributing in other ways. That engagement allows real-time journalism and public service to flourish.
Two recent stories we published exemplify how the spirit of community and collaboration can also result in more traditional, investigative work.
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