Jen-sized, which is a brilliant blog out of Memphis, talks about the peaks and valleys of citizen journalism.
Friday night our search for a bar to replace Dish as our weekend hangout led us to the Bayou, which has a laid-back atmosphere, big TVs and some pretty legit gumbo. I went in to order while Brian stayed outside and talked to some people he knew. A few minutes went by, and he called me to say he’d walked across the street to check out the fire at Sidestreet. So I ran out there with my little Flip cam and took some video. And I tweeted what was going on.
snip
Anyway, I got a call Monday from a reporter from one of the local television stations who’d seen my video on Facebook and wondered if they could use it and if I maybe could give a soundbite. So I did. And I won’t again.
She talks of the changing roles of how she put up the video immediately on her Facebook page and how a reporter called her about it and how it ultimately ran on the news.
Three days later.
I’ve said it before and most likely will say it again, but news is changing. Less reporters and a more ferocious need for news by the public can create a dilemma. Some reporters know that the public has learned to use instant social networking to get the story out there and get their needs met. That’s smart. What wasn’t smart is that the story was already cooling (no pun intended.)
And if you don’t think reporters are going to all of your blogs looking for news, then I have an island to sell you in Iowa.
I almost put this up, but I am SO glad you did, this was awesome