In COM 201, Introduction to Communication, we spend a lot of time talking about how technology and demographic trends are challenging the functions of journalism and communication that are so important to our democracy. Indentifying the problems is the easy part. Finding solutions is a little harder. One of the most interesting ideas on the solution side is Peer News. John Temple was hired as its first editor by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar. On his blog, Temple quotes Omidyar to explain the direction this project is taking:
Key quote: "Our goal is to create the new civic square. We want to provide a platform for people to come together as a community. We hope to encourage people to become more engaged in the world around them and provide them with ways to respectfully discuss important issues with their neighbors."
And they're looking for interns. This could turn out to be an all-time case of right-time-right-place.
Related Links:
- Pacific Business News, "Omidyar’s goal: Create the new civic square."
- John Temple's blog entry on moving to Honolulu to start Peer News
- The Peer News blog
No comments:
Post a Comment