Hello friends.
On Wednesday, March 26 I'll be hosting yet another blogging seminar for the KAXE Community Journalism Project at Mesabi Range Community and Technical College in Virginia, Minn. I briefly explain blogging, how it works and how to start a blog and then share information on a community project that supports new and existing bloggers across northern Minnesota. This is a great opportunity for beginners and for those who know about blogs but are looking for more readers and to network with grassroots news gatherers from across northern Minnesota. You don't need any experience to be a part of the class and there are no obligations after you attend. Blog topics can range from news and politics to hobbies and local culture.
Also, it's free!
And totally awesome.
In all seriousness, I taught the same class at Itasca Community College two months ago and another at my home base, Hibbing Community College, in February. Each session has increased in quality and in the number of people participating. This is a very cool project that is laying the groundwork for a hometown network of community journalists that will be standing ready if traditional small town media outlets collapse into the black hole of consolidation. Meantime, community blogging is filling in the gaps and keeping our people informed. To paraphrase and pluralize the words of my two-year-old son, "We do it 'self!"
Anyway, I need you to
register in advance if you're interested. You can just show up, but if everyone does that they'll cancel it because no one signed up. I vow to make this a useful opportunity for all concerned. If 10 MinnesotaBrown readers show up, I'll buy a couple pitchers afterward.
Virginia Community Journalism Blog Workshop
KAXE's Citizen Journalism project continues with a workshop on Wednesday evening, March 26th, at 6 o'clock, at Mesabi Range Community and Technical College (Room C-156) in Virginia. This workshop is designed for anyone interested in journalism, creating a blog, or producing audio, video, or written content for a web site. Journalist and KAXE commentator, Aaron Brown, will lead the workshop.
No previous journalism experience is necessary. You can register for the class at kaxecommons.org or call Scott Hall at KAXE, 326-1234
It is free and open to anyone in the KAXE listening area - or out of it really. There is no charge, but we would like to know if you can make it, so registration is required. Call KAXE at 218-326-1234, e-mail: kaxe@kaxe.org or register online.
If you didn't know, I teach communication at HCC now but before that I was a radio and newspaper reporter and editor on the Iron Range and briefly in Iowa and Wisconsin. I still write a column for the Hibbing Daily Tribune while writing commentaries and producing special projects for KAXE. I think I've developed a pretty interesting theory as to what's been happening in local news media and what might be coming in the next decade. Sign up and find out. (Something for everyone! Did I mention, it's free!)
Today's Business North has two high profile stories by Beth Bily that detail Internet projects based on or near the Iron Range. One details the Herculean challenges faced by the "reverse publication" initiative over at Hometown Focus. The other details the activities of the KAXE Community Web Project (which has contracted me to do training sessions in the past).
