Paul Bradshaw is preparing a paper on the use of Wikis in journalism. And he wants your help. Conveniently, he’s set up a wiki for anyone who wants to contribute.
For the uninitiated, a wiki is basically piece of online software that lets a group of people easily collaborate. You can use a wiki to create anything from a shopping list to an encyclopedia.
Like traditional journalism, wiki journalism involves a small number of people writing about news or personal experiences for a larger audience. The difference is that wikis provide the public with the means to participate not just in the discussion of the story, but in its creation. For major events like the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, sites like Wikepedia and Wikinews provide hundreds of people affected by the ability to share their stories directly with the public.
What’s most interesting about Bradshaw’s article right now is that it’s unfinished. You can check out his writing process, and see the suggestions of other readers/writers. Or you can use the provided tools to offer your own suggestions for the article. Bradshaw promises to give credit to all contributors.
The article will be presented in September, but even if Bradshaw abandons it after that point, which I doubt, I’m certain people will continue to edit and refine the article.
[via Andy Dickinson]
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