newmedia – Citizen Reporter

New Frontiers for Global Citizen Journalism

Photo Courtesy of CarribeanFreePhoto on flickr (thanks Georgia!)

Global Voices Online has come a long way since the days of being all about blogs from around the world. Just as the technology for publishing online and having conversations about issues that effect our lives has evolved, so too has this international project dedicated to multi-lingual, multi-cultural, grassroots reporting. In 2012 GVO are into more than just providing a place for translation and reporting, they’ve moved into specialized projects relating to advocacy, socio-cultural projects and protecting citizen journalists around the world. At this year’s Re:publica12 conference, I had a chance to finally sit down with Ivan Sigal, executive director of Global Voices Online, and we spoke about these new frontiers and how he sees where we are today as global citizens of many languages examining the world around us.

From the Basement Studio Where It All Began

Newark Image: Designbydexterity / flickr

In the late 80’s and early 90’s, my parents built a studio in the basement of our home. This plywood and carpet creation would become the home for The Voice of Portugal, which proudly served the Portuguese of New Jersey for almost a decade. It was this very spot where I first spoke into a microphone as a child. 20 years later I’m standing on that same spot, recording a podcast update about this current journey in the United States, and the new projects I have launched this year.

I mention 2 new projects; 2 new weekly podcasts Im involved with:

Newz of the World – A weekly news review co-hosted with Tim Pritlove

United Academics Podcast – Interviews with Researchers from the World of Physical and Social Science

A New Media Conversation with Global Attitude

400 He was podcasting before there was podcasting. Looking to the online conversations and connections between old and new media long before any media company understood what was going on. He’s a global citizen who has a talent for finding inspiring voices and teaching us about our world. His is a voice I hear in my head whenever I turn on a microphone or ask a question. Who better to talk about the past, present, and future of this thing we do on this website and beyond, than Christopher Lydon. He was there making podcasts long before anyone else back in 2002, when I starting recording my own program in 2004, his Radio Open Source was my constant companion as I made my way through my new life here in Amsterdam. In honor of my 400th we go back to the origins, back to the mindset that brought us this media revolution that is still unfolding. We’re not here to say its all great, nor are we here to declare it as disaster, but we are here to talk about what it has been like, what we see, and foresee, for ourselves as independent voices who make media, and for the bigger picture of us as citizens of this world.

Interview at Frontline Club Georgia

Greetings from Lisbon, Portugal, where I’m tending to both family business, and soaking up all I can when it comes to how things are REALLY going here for the individuals that make up this country. The results, in both text and audio will be coming soon, as well as the next edition of the DIY homesteading series which I’ve greatly enjoyed working on.

For today I wanted to go back in time a few months, back in June I was in Georgia doing some work on behalf of Small World News. While I was there I was invited to give a talk at the Frontline Club, and the topic was crowdsourced funding with some extra attention on flattr. Afterwards I did a longer form interview on the topic of journalism and new media. You’ve probably seen me do many of these in the past, but just in case, here’s how it turned out:

The Future of Media, Frontline Club Georgia

ctrp340 India Unheard

India Unheard is a new project by VideoVolunteers which focuses on helping develop a network of citizen journalists and concerned video citizens throughout India. My guests, BaghdadBrian and Stalin K, are both involved with the project and agreed to talk to me and explain what VV is, the idea behind India Unheard, and the evolution of the project.

India Unheard
Video Volunteers
BaghdadBrian on Twitter

ctrp334 New Media in Tomsk

When you wander around the streets of Tomsk in Siberia, you may think the place looks a little behind the times. But beneath the surface there are in fact new and creative ideas in the world of new media taking root. In this particular podcast we hear from a videoblogging priest about why he uses the internet as a tool in his community, and how some young DJ’s have turned to internet radio as their main stage for playing music. (special bonus at the end, me ringing the church bells, I apologize in advance to your ears.)

The church’s Videoblog (where I, though not religious, might appear soon)

RTFM.FM Internet Radio in Tomsk