Community journalism

Local journalism is that part of the field of journalism, which is responsible for local issues. Local journalists care about the reports on politics, culture and sport, which are known for their region of particular importance.

Local journalism in newspapers, radio and television

In the newspapers in Germany about 60 percent of editors are local journalists. When watching TV ( about 8 percent) and the radio ( about 10 percent), these are significantly less. When displaying leaves work almost exclusively local journalists, but these papers are rarely divided into classical departments.

Not every newspaper, TV or radio station has a department, decidedly called "Local " '. The work of local journalists there falls often into other areas, such as history or politics.

Larger media and publishing houses have local editorial offices in the main cities of the country. Employees are often local journalists with permanent employment. Furthermore, there is an independent local newspapers reporting primarily on events in a smaller area or a city.

Ways of working in local journalism

Local journalists are those group of journalists on the best reporter the name applies. While some journalists spend a larger part of their work with telephone, newspaper, book or internet research in the areas of feature or policy, the local journalist often has to be in place of the events about which he reported. Often it is in the local journalism but simply a matter of evaluating the information provided by press offices and PR agencies.

Prestige and importance of local journalism

Basically, can perceive a social task with local journalists reporting on local politics, on social, economic and cultural events and developments on the ground. In fact, taking the (printed ) diversity of opinion through processes of concentration from. Also takes the supply of independent publishing units, ie independent newsrooms from. There arise Einzeitungskreise. Many newspapers also monopoly pay low fees and offer poor working conditions, among which the quality of journalistic content and the reputation of this important task suffer. The result is often a " complacency journalism" produced by local politicians is critical reports about about club parties, anniversaries or birthday parties.

Institutions for the promotion of local journalism

At the Federal Agency for Civic Education since the mid-1970s to deal with issues of local journalism. In seminars and publications recommendations for the professionalization of local journalists and for the quality assurance of its reporting be passed. Since 1981, the Federal Agency publishes the magazine hub. The book compiles articles and thus acts as a source of ideas for the local teams. New developments in local journalism points to a current file of the local journalism program BpB.

The initiative newspaper eV, an association primarily of newspaper publishers, turns with seminars at the target group of local journalists.

The Konrad -Adenauer -Stiftung writes annually from a local journalist prize, will be awarded with the outstanding products and concepts of one year and published in a documentary. The following papers have received this award in the past:

  • 2001: Saarbrücken newspaper tz
  • 2002: Leipzig People's Daily
  • 2003: Trierischer Volksfreund
  • 2004: New Wuerttemberg newspaper
  • 2005: Elmshorner News
  • 2006: Newspaper Publisher Waiblingen
  • 2007: Hamburger Evening Gazette
  • 2008: Braunschweiger Zeitung
  • 2009: Weser-Kurier
  • 2010: Südkurier

Recent Developments

It is becoming apparent that tasks that were previously within the remit of the local journalists of the daily newspapers, will in future be taken over more and more of data journalists.

Example: When a traditional local journalist is informed about a construction that will hinder the road for a few weeks, then it sets a message in his newspaper. Data journalists, however, accept the message in a database that can be accessed over the Internet. Anyone who is suspicious while walking through the streets and feel the need to learn about the site a bit, then you can be called a city map on which the site is registered, where it can also retrieve information on the expected duration of the construction work on the Internet. Pioneer for local data journalism in Germany sees' make Frankfurt ".

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