Citizen journalism labors of love

Ya gotta root for efforts like this one, and ya gotta figure it's a harbinger of what's coming for small communities that just don't have the ad dollars to support a print product: After trying since October to make a go of it with the monthly paper of Winooski, Vermont (6,387 people, according to ePodunk), editor Cathy Resmer announced this week that she's converting The Winooski Eagle to an online-only citizen journalism effort.

Last month, she wrote:

Loyal readers will remember that when I assumed responsibility for the paper last October, I took over for a group of people who were planning to shut it ... I tried everything I could to keep this paper alive, but the bottom line is that it has become a physical and financial drain for me and my family. ... I still believe Winooski needs a local news provider, a place where residents can find out the latest information about the city, the schools, the businesses and the people who make up this unique and exciting community.

In addition to the low publication costs, Resmer cites the frequent updates, site accessibility and searchability, and the citizen journalism component as advantages over the print model.

Comments

[Cathy Resmer]

Hey, glad you noticed my post. I should probably also point out that I'm way ahead of my time in Winooski. Most businesses aren't connected to the Internet there, the city government still hasn't really figured it out, and I think this will be a difficult transition for most residents.

But honestly, if you've been working on the inside of this problem, as I have, it seems like a no-brainer. The paper I was putting out really wasn't that great, and literally would not exist if it weren't for all of my uncompensated labor. It really was a crazy, impossible undertaking. Running this website will be simple. It's getting people to read it and contribute to it that will be a challenge. But at least it won't drain my bank account anymore.

I should also point out that I write (and blog) for a newspaper for a living — Seven Days, in Burlington VT. www.sevendaysvt.com.

[Cathy Resmer]

Hey, I just noticed that you have a list of citizen journalism source links on your left sidebar. You should add iBurlington, iPutney, and iManchester.

[Milt Martin]

A similar startup of an online community news website, namely PrattNews.com, is being produced in southwest Kansas. The one local print newspaper, The Pratt Tribune, has reacted negatively to this startup effort. See the Opinions section for an exchange of email communications about this matter. As one of the founders of the PrattNews Coop I must admit that we expected a spirit of cooperation with local journalists but apparently they seem threatened by competition.

[Ari]

Cathy, Milt,

Thanks for letting me know about the other sites. I've added them to the "Who's Doing It" list.

And, Milt, what I found interesting in the exchange between Pratt News and the Pratt Tribune was (a) that you felt compelled to ask permission to link to them and (b) that the newspaper would refuse. You certainly didn't need to make the request, and the paper seems to be declining a link that might drive traffic to its web site. Go figure!