Monday, June 2, 2008

Community Journalism: Share Your Stories

We all have a story to share. It could be about a personal experience, a problem in your neighborhood or an issue that's important to your community. In today's media world, you can help people by writing and publishing these stories. The Racine Public Library, 75 Seventh St., will once again host a series of free community journalism classes facilitated by local journalist Dustin Block designed to empower community members to use local media and to spread important stories to the public.

  • How To Start A Blog: June 14, 2-4 p.m. Participants in this hands-on class will create their own blog on the Internet and leave being able to post stories, photos and video. We'll use the "Blogger" system to create a personal website that is easy to update and entirely free. Handouts will be provided. Just bring your questions and ideas!

  • Be A Journalist! June 21 and June 28, 2-4 p.m. This two-day class is for people interested in the nuts and bolts of reporting news. You'll learn how to ask questions, take notes, investigate ideas and put everything together into a compelling news story. Participants should come ready to work! The first week we'll cover the basics, and everyone will leave with a story assignment to bring back to the class a week later. The second week we'll edit stories, fill in gaps and publish them online.

Registration is recommended for these free classes; call the Racine Public Library at 262.636.9217 to reserve a spot.

The classes are a great opportunity for non-profit organizations, local businesses, writers, community activists and anyone interested in the media to learn how they can offer and create alternatives to mainstream media sources. It's easier than you think! No experience is required. All you need to bring is an interest in your surroundings and a willingness to tell others what you see.

Block, former city editor of The Journal Times, is a veteran local journalist with 13 years of experience writing and editing news stories for various publications. He is now editor of the Insider News, founder of RacinePost.com and a freelance writer for publications including Milwaukee Magazine, Wisconsin Builder Magazine and ConsumerSearch.com.

For questions about the content of the classes, contact Dustin at: dustin.block@gmail.com or (262) 488-3419.

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