The Mountain Xpress is spotlighting a new feature over the next couple of days. It’s called Blogwire, and it’s our invitation to you to collaborate with us on gathering local news and information.
Blogwire is our latest experiment in citizen-driven news and information. It’s your chance to post to www.mountainx.com what you see as important local news and information. Call it community-powered media, or grassroots journalism. This is our window into your world.
“Everybody’s a publisher today,” says Mountain Xpress Publisher Jeff Fobes, “and the community’s smarter if everyone has a chance to talk and be heard.” Asheville already has a reputation for bolstering grassroots movements, he adds, “so it’s a great place to make journalism more grassroots.”
Once you create a user account on www.mountainx.com and request access, you’ll be able to post your local news and information. E-mail webmaster@mountainx.com to learn more about how you and Mountain Xpress can work together.
— Jason Sandford, multimedia editor
Is Blogwire Mountain Express’s answer to the Citizen-Times new blog cooperative venture WNC LINC?
AvlResident: No, Blogwire has been in the works at Xpress for months.
There are common themes, though. Both do or will aggregate local news; encourage citizen-journalism and blogging; and help institutional “newspapers” find new roles and alliances with their community.
Blogwire appears to be more open than the ACT LINC project: Blogwire lets readers sign up and post items themselves, whereas LINC is a limited collaboration with five blogsites and has no provision that I’m aware of to let those five post items themselves on the Citizen-Times web pages. But then LINC hasn’t even started. Let’s see what wonderful features they come up with
What really is news these days? well lets try this….
Mrs.Taryn Nicole Lynch
daughter of Philip “Jeff Turner”
Elected Superviser of Buncombe County Soil and Water Conservation District,has announced the birth of twins,a son and a daughter,were born today,October 13th,2009.
Lynch,returned to colorado 2 years ago to be with her ailing mother.
While living in Longmont Colorado,Taryn met and married her husband Dane Lynch.
Superviser Turner said in a statement from his home that he is overwhelmed with happiness and joy and that he cant wait to see to his first grand-children…a double grandpa at one time.
Jeff Turner: That’s great news for all the Turners, though it’s more of a family affair than a civic matter. But congrats to all those entrusted with the care and upbringing of the new twins!
its not news to you sir,,and thats because you dont know the rest….of the story,
and since you opened it up jeff,,we the readers decide whats news,,,and speaking of civic matters,,we at the buncombe county soil and water conservation district decide on grants and other civic matters,sometimes into millions of dollars,
yet i never see the civic minded news crews reporting on such civic matters,…maybe just maybe editors havent gotten the news,
maybe we the reader would like different news than that which is being conveyed..maybe we are tired of rich man, poor man, beggar man, and thief.
maybe we are tired of being told by government officals what we the free peoples of america are gonna have to choke down,,some folks are at the point of mass rebellion,,is that news.i personally believe lots of folks would rather hear of two new borns today,instead of two more soldiers killed or well i guess ive over made my point…however jeff, thanks for noticing anyway;
this is the opinion of jeff turner only and in no way represents the thoughts or conveyences of anyone else,nor the civic county state board i serve on
Jeff Turner: The good news in this discussion, it seems to me, is that Blogwire gives you the opportunity to post news, such as the activities of the Buncombe Co Soil and Water Conservation District.
I can easily sympathize with people who feel shut out by media operations always making the decisions as to what’s news.
Blogwire is one effort Xpress is taking to let people outside the traditional media do their own reporting. There are efforts in the planning phase.
By placing the two newborns in a context of too much news about more soldiers killed in a world run from afar by huge corporations and governments, I begin to understand your perspective.
Thanks for continuing the discussion.