|
In response to queries from people who would like to participate in citizen
journalism on iBrattleboro.com in a more substantial way, we've put together
this page to help folks get started. Here you'll find a list of organizations
and topics that we'd love for you to cover. If there are topics of your
own that you'd like to work on, that's fine too. Browse the list, think about
your own interests, and then sign up using the form below.
We're interested in all forms of citizen media -- written stories, photo essays,
as well as video and audio reports. Whatever you do best.
For more information about any of the items below, just
click on it.
Lise LePage
Steven K-Brooks
Christopher Grotke
Lise LePage
Annikee
Terry Martin
Mark Carignan
|
Town School Board (Elementary Schools)
BUHS School Board (Middle and High School)
Brattleboro Selectboard (esp. morning meetings)
Development Review Board
BABB, Downtown & The River Garden
The Local Arts Scene
Riverfront Planning / Union Station
Local Growth and Development Issues
Energy Issues / Vermont Yankee
Energy Issues / Sustainabiity
Local Agriculture / The Grafton Cheese Factory / Retreat Farm
Local Sports / Recreational Space Issues
State Legislature As It Affects Brattleboro
Local History - Any Era
First, we are wide open to other topics. These are just some areas where we
think we could use help in coverage. If you want to write a story on a topic
not covered in this list, let us know (or just go ahead and write it). The
iBrattleboro community thrives on the creativity and invention of its members.
Second, you will not be held
to a deadline. It's up to you what you submit and when, but suffice to say
that readers enjoy timely stories and in some cases (Selectboard coverage,
for instance), they demand them. It's unlikely that there will be any meetings
involved, although there may be informal gatherings from time to time
at which attendance will always be optional.
Third, experience is not necessary. If you have a story to tell, you can use
whatever medium suits you to get it across. You will not be required to write
in standard news format. We do ask that you strive for coherence and understandability
in anything you submit, so you don't leave your readers wandering in the dark.
Fourth...there is no fourth! Just kidding. There is a fourth step. Please
use the form below to signal your desire and intention to take on an assignment
from the iBrattleboro Assignment Desk. If forms scare you, you can email us
at info@ibrattleboro.com.
Ready to sign up?
Ok, just fill in the short form below and we'll be in touch soon to help you
get started.
Required fields are Real Name, Email Address, and What Do You Want To Cover.
Thanks for taking the plunge — we think you'll find citizen journalism
fun and rewarding.
Governs Oak Grove, Academy and Green Street Schools.
Meets 1st and 3rd Wednesdays at 4:30pm at Oak Grove School
Governs Brattleboro Area Middle School and Brattleboro Union High School
Meets 1st and 3rd Mondays at 7pm at BUHS Multi-Purpose Room
Meets
1st
and 3rd Tuesdays at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room
and various other times and dates, as determined by the Selectboard
Notes: Lise LePage, Steven K-Brooks, and Christopher Grotke
currently cover the regular Tuesday evening meetings. Help is needed covering
the various regular and occasional morning meetings.
Meets 1st and 3rd Mondays at 7:00 pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room
>> Back to Assignments
Stories related to BABB, including board and management, new projects, and ongoing
initiatives. Stories relevant to downtown, including new businesses and public
spaces, road work, disasters of any kind, and town policy decisions affecting
the area. Updates on the River Garden, especially any changes in use or status,
and including upbeat events-related stories.
The local arts scene is heating up and starting to get organized. We're
looking for help covering the Alliance For The Arts'
"Cultural" Planning effort and related matters. iBrattleboro
readers would also enjoy coverage of arts events and happenings of all kinds,
from formal gallery showings to impromptu street events.
There are two things going on at the Riverfront area -- first, sooner or later,
the town is going to be allowed by the Department of Transportation to finish
off the Union Station project. We should be keeping our eyes out for any
movement on this front. In addition, local citizens, with the help of consultant
Michael Singer, are participating in a planning process for the Riverfront,
with a report from Singer due in August. It would be nice to be have someone
following this story.
>> Back to Assignments
There is always something going on with regard to local growth and development.
There's the Winstanley project, a possible truck stop at exit 3, and all
the planning for West Brattleboro, each with its own development issues.
With regard to growth county-wide, iBrattleboro user Spoon Agave has raised
the issue of the (possibly) unintended consequences of the power line upgrade
in Southern Vermont and whether or not that will lead to rapid growth. These
are just some of many possible stories in a constantly evolving matrix of
change -- dive in anywhere.
From protests to unscheduled shutdowns to state legislative initiatives, we're
interested in knowing what goes on regarding the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Station
in Vernon, VT.
Brattleboro is a hotbead of sustainability projects, including sustainable housing
(Habitat for Humanity), food production (the Localvore project), energy conservation
(Cities for Climate Protection), and more. If you're interested in promoting
sustainability and would like others to know more about the issues involved,
this is a great 'positive' area to cover.
>> Back to Assignments
The spotlight was briefly on agriculture this year when local farmers
fought the Grafton Cheese Factory at the Retreat Farm. It would be
nice to keep at least a beam of that light shining in their direction. We are
looking for stories about local farmers and the obstacles they face at the present
time. Upbeat, folksy stories (perhaps seasonally) giving readers a sense of how
our farmers are doing would also be welcome (how did this year's sugaring go,
what are milk prices doing this year, was the garlic crop worth it? and the like).
And of course, any updates regarding the Retreat Farm.
We're always looking for someone to write about local sports, any sports, at
any level. The ongoing recreational space issue also interests readers, and
a Town committee exists to study the problem.
Sometimes it's easy to forget that Montpelier exists. Not lately, though. iBrattleboro
could use a regular State correspondent, to report back the issues that relate
to our area (or are of special interest to our citizens). If you're a political
junkie and find Brattleboro's political scene too puny, this may be the perfect
slot for you.
There is always room for thoughtful, well-researched and sourced history articles
at the Brattleboro Brain Trust. If
this is something you enjoy, we encourage you to get in touch so we can help
you get started posting history stories on iBrattleboro. Lise LePage is working
on the 18th century (and would be happy for help) but the 19th century is an
open field. And of course, if you'd like to do a larger piece for publication
on iBrattleboro itself, that's fine too.
>> Back to Assignments
Read on for reporting tips including
how to submit photos and video to iBrattleboro.com.
Relax.
Get an agenda, in advance if possible.
Be on time.
Bring a notebook or your laptop. If you use a computer, make sure you are set up and ready to go before the meeting starts if possible. Keep disruptions to a minimum.
Pace yourself. You don't need to get every word. The goal is to provide a summary of what happened for historical purposes and for the benefit of those who could not be there in person.
You can ask questions. If uncomfortable during the meeting, stay around after and ask. People usually like to get accurate information out to the public and you are helping them.
Do your best to get it right. If you aren't sure of something, don't invent facts. It's better to leave something out and fix it later in comments than to get it wrong.
No need to sensationalize - what actually happens is enough.
It takes a few meetings to get into the groove, and it takes a few reports to find a style that works for you.
Use the dictionary, spell checking, search engines, the phone book, and other resources you may have for reference.
It's the web. If someone mentions something that is available online, you can link to it..
You can add to your coverage by adding digital images (through flickr) or videos (through YouTube).
The best way to do this is to get a Flickr account for photo sharing. You can post 100mb of photos there for free each month.
When you have photos on Flickr, you can embed them into a story submission or comment on iBrattleboro.
[flickr:photoidnumber]
One of the best things is that viewers can then click to see larger versions of your photos at Flickr. There is also no limit to the number of photos you can include in a story this way.
If you send photos directly to iBrattleboro, we are looking for 72 dpi, jpegs no more than 500 pixels wide or tall. You are limited to 10 images per story, ad we ask that you submit a story with information about the photos so that we have something to "attach" the images to on the site. This is a much slower method.
As with photos, use of a file sharing service is recommended. A site like YouTube or Google video allows you to upload short videos for free, and embed them in web pages by using code they provide on their site.
We let them worry about bandwidth and upgrades to their system so we can all focus on the substance of our video, right?
Copy and paste the embed code into your submission, select "HTML" as your method to post the story, then preview your video. If it works in the preview, it should work in your story. If you are having trouble, let us know and we'll see if we can help you out.
BCTV has classes and equipment for making better videos.
Thanks for visiting the iBrattleboro Assignment Desk!
Check back occasionally for updates. If you have ideas for local stories
that you'd like to see covered, send them to info@ibrattleboro.com.
Last Updated Thursday, November 15 2007 @ 10:20 PM EST 
|
