1. What is a citizen journalist?
..............Citizen journalists are ordinary people who are involved in their communities or are passionate about an issue. They want to inform others who also share their interests. They could be anyone - age 6 to 96 - who want their communities to be informed - and informed accurately. This could be a seventh grader who likes to write about science, a mom who wants to write about her kid's sporting events, or even government officials or employees who want to enlighten and inform the public they serve.

2. What is the National Association of Citizen Journalists?
..............The NACJ is just what its name implies - an organization of average citizens who are bound together by their commitment to the art and craft of journalism. The organization provides a variety of training for its members so they become proficient at collecting, researching, reporting and disseminating news and information to their communities. It also provides mentoring, networking and credentialing opportunities for its members. The mission of the NACJ is to recruit, train and motivate average citizens to become citizen journalists.

3. What type of training and motivation is provided?
..............Members are given the opportunity to participate in a variety of webinars that provide detailed training on how to report, write and submit news items to a variety of news entities, including Internet news websites, newspapers, as well as broadcast and internet radio and television stations.
..............All training is done over the Internet, using state-of-the-art technology. Training requirements are dependent on the level of professionalism and credentialing the individual member wants to achieve.

4. What types of memberships are available?
..............The NACJ offers three different levels of membership - Intern, Cub Reporter and Beat Reporter.
..............All three levels receive free a white paper titled, "31Ways You Can Write, Produce and Distribute News About Your Community" and the "Citizen Journalist Post," an e-zine that is distributed every other week so members can stay up-to-date with what's happening in the exciting world of citizen journalism.
..............Those opting to be a Cub reporter receive two training webinars with limited writing assignments, so they can practice what they learn from the lessons. The Cub Reporter fee is $60 only per year.
..............Those opting for our highest level of membership are called Beat Reporters. They are required to take four comprehensive training webinars (including homework) at their leisure with the privilege of taking as many additional webinars as the NACJ provides at no additional cost. Upon the successful completion of four webinars and their respective assignments, Beat Reporters are awarded NACJ Certification. The Beat Reporter fee is only $120 per year.

5. Why should I become a member?
..............The training, information and support provided by NACJ is an asset to anyone who wants to become part of the growing number of individuals reporting on what is happening in their communities, schools, churches, nonprofit organizations, and local and national governments.
..............With NACJ training, you will learn how to write news, feature and sports stories. You will learn how to conduct an interview and take notes. You will learn how to cover your local government, as well as your child's sporting event. The insight that you will gain from this knowledge will give you an advantage as you work as a citizen journalist.
..............Member interaction is also an important part of the NACJ. Your membership will put you in contact with hundreds of other citizen journalists across the country and around the world.
..............Recognition by members of the press is also something that membership in the NACJ can provide. While the NACJ cannot guarantee you a seat at every table where the press is gathered, by taking NACJ training you do separate yourself from the crowd of citizen journalist wannabes. You will be better prepared and more professional to face the challenges of the profession because of the training, mentoring and motivation you receive as a member.

6. What does NACJ certification really mean?
..............NACJ training and certification means you have successfully completed at least four comprehensive NACJ training webinars and homework assignments. You are then awarded a certificate suitable for framing, a PRESS sticker for your vehicle and a NACJ press ID badge.
..............While the credentials you earn from the NACJ do not guarantee you entrance to any and every event where the press is present, they do provide independent evidence that you understand the principles and methods of professional journalists. Therefore, when NACJ credentials are presented to the organizers of an event, they will substantially improve the likelihood of your admission as a member of the press over citizen journalists without any credentialing.
..............As people in your community learn about the significance of the training you have received and recognize the accuracy of your reports, doors may open for you and more people may relay on you for your information because it is trustworthy.

7. After I'm trained what do I do?
..............Hit the streets and start asking questions! NACJ training changes the way you look at things happening in your community. You will have a more inquisitive view of life. You will start wondering why things are happening. You will want to get the answers to your questions and share them with others in your community.
..............The venues for sharing your newfound information are almost limitless. You could submit a story to your local newspaper, your monthly HOA newsletter, your local radio station or youtube.com. But you also could post articles on one of the hundreds of websites that exist to inform the public.
..............These citizen media websites include yourhub.com, yournews.com, allvoices.com and even blognetnews.com, where citizen journalists blog about everything from their hometown and state politics to global conversations about biking or economics.
..............Many local sites also exist. For example, anacortesnow.com describes itself as independent effort to get local citizens to engage in a dialog about all things Anacortes and is particularly interested in news and features not covered by the local weekly press. MyMissourian.com describes itself as "grassroots journalism for mid-Missourians." Hopnews.com, which covers Hopkinton, MA, even has hopnews.tv for video reports.

8. Why did you start NACJ?
..............NACJ was launched in July 2009 because of the belief that citizen journalists will be an increasing factor in the dissemination of news. Even the New York Times is seeking citizen journalists to help in its news coverage. The NACJ strongly believes citizen journalists want to be trained properly so they can provide accurate information in their reports. ..............Today's technology provides an enormous number of venues for discussing issues or for letting people know what their city council, school board and even water district are doing. NACJ wants the information that is sent out to be as accurate as possible so people can make informed decisions or participate in informed discussions, based on well written, well researched, always accurate citizen journalist reports.

9. Will citizen journalists make a difference?
..............The change in the news industry is ongoing. Media outlets are closing their doors, cutting their staffs and losing customers who accuse them of being biased, inaccurate or neglectful in their reporting. As a result, the NACJ believes citizen journalists represent the future of the ever-changing news arena.
..............Today newspapers put out their own citizen journalism sections, such as yourhub.com. Radio and TV stations constantly ask for viewer contributions. Even the New York Times has started a citizen journalism project called "The Local." Andy Newman, a staff reporter for the Times who is working on the project, noted "there's a growing consensus in the media world that one way that newspapers can sustain themselves is to foster what is known as participatory journalism or citizen journalism.
.............."Citizen journalists already make a difference because they are on the ground, in the streets, at the meetings and in the game. They write in their own style to their own constituencies. They are where the news is happening - not sitting comfortably in a newsroom far away from the scene.

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