links for 2010-03-01

Then there are tools for getting to the bottom of an issue. WhatDoTheyKnow makes it easier to submit Freedom of Information requests, Help Me Investigate encourages people to collaborate in finding answers. Someone will pose a question – such as ‘Does the Job Centre check out employers when it advertises vacancies?‘ – and other people can help to find the answer, adding information they already know or have uncovered specially.

The Internet has democratized media by shifting power from institutions to individuals.

The media world has evolved from a top down, command and control model into a complex ecosystem of mainstream media, blogs and user-generated content. It was once relatively clear where news came from (your local paper), when it would arrive (each morning) and who was the messenger (the longtime beat reporter).

Indiana University journalism professor David Weaver doesn't even think citizen journalists should be the correct term in this discussion. "Citizen communicators" would be better, he says, because "without the training and education that most journalists have, most citizens cannot qualify as journalists."