Susan Cormier's Blog

A New York federal court judge has ruled against bloggers who sued The Huffington Post for compensation for their contributions to the news website.

“There is no question that the plaintiffs submitted their materials to The Huffington Post with no expectation of monetary compensation and that they got what they paid for — exposure in The Huffington Post,” U.S. District Court Judge John G. Koeltl wrote in his March 30 dismissal of the lawsuit.

Jonathan Tasini and others contributors /bloggers filed the class action suit after AOL purchased the Huffington Post for $315 million in February 2011, claiming their contributions and articles contributed to the value of The Huffington Post.

They were seeking back pay – to the tune of $105 million, according to the suit that was filed April 12, 2011, against AOL, TheHuffingtonPost.com, and Arianna Huffington and Kenneth Lerer, the news website’s founders.

Judge Koeltl found that the plaintiffs represented professional or quasi-professional writers who “submitted significant volumes of content over varying periods of time. For example, plaintiff Tasini, described in the Complaint as a professional author, politician, union leader and successful United States Supreme Court litigant, submitted content 216 times over the course of more than five years and publicized that content through social networking media such as Facebook and Twitter.

“Rather than monetary compensation, the unpaid content providers are offered exposure — namely, visibility, promotion and distribution, for themselves and their work,” the judge continued.

“Under New York law, a plaintiff must plead some expectation of compensation that was denied in order to recover under a theory of unjust enrichment. The complaint fails to do so and the claim for unjust enrichment must therefore be dismissed,” according to the judge’s ruling.

Susan Cormier is the co-author of the “Handbook for Citizen Journalists” (http://www.citizenjournalistnow.com/)

While interviewing some folks for an article that I was writing about the local horse industry, I heard a comment repeated that I’ve heard from time to time during the 20 years that I’ve lived in Parker.

I was told that Douglas County has the largest horse population per capita in the nation.

Since I was writing an article for the Parker Chamber of Commerce’s annual magazine, I decided it was time to try and find someone who might know if that claim is actually true. Yes, I’ve heard it for years. Yes, the person who said it recently also has heard it for years.

The information was repeated, but it was never actually verified. It was time for me to put on my reporter’s cap and do some digging into the truth.

Guess what? I couldn’t verify the claim. In fact, after making calls to numerous people involved with horses and the horse industry statewide, most said they didn’t know. Only one person said he doubted the statement could be true and gave me some information that would lead one to believe that no way could the claim be factual.

The more I thought about it, the more I thought it was crazy to believe the same claim for 20 years – especially with the area’s incredible population explosion over that same time period.

This is a good lesson for citizen journalists and writers of all kinds. Just because you hear a statement of so-called fact repeated over and over, does not make it true. It is always best to find an expert who should be able to tell you whether the information you’ve heard is factual or absolutely absurd.

So don’t repeat everything you hear as fact – even if you’ve heard it for years and from multiple people. Do your due diligence to uncover whether the information is a myth or reality.

Susan Cormier is the co-author of the “Handbook for Citizen Journalists” (http://www.citizenjournalistnow.com/)

Here’s a fun way to practice your citizen journalism skills: Enter the essay contest sponsored by the Lakewood (Colo.) Historical Society.

Not only will it be a great way to use your reporting and writing skills, you also might win some of the $1,000 in prize money.

Even though the contest requests entries about Lakewood’s history, organizers say you don’t have to live in the Lakewood area to enter. You could live in Timbuktu. They don’t care. They just want your entries.

So do some research on the Internet, pick up the phone and make some calls, and write an essay about the history of Lakewood, Colo.

Contest organizers even provide a list of names to get you started, including Schnell Centennial Farms, Lakewood Brick Co., Hart’s Corner, White Fence Farm and Lakewood’s Waterways.

You will have to submit one added extra to your entry of 3,000 words or less: Endnotes, footnotes credits and/or bibliography are required.

But what have you got to lose? And you could win the $300 and $200 first and second prize awards given in each of the youth and adult categories.

For more information, visit www.historiclakewood.org or call 303.233.3050. The deadline for entries is May 15, 2012.

Susan Cormier is the co-author of the “Handbook for Citizen Journalists” (http://www.citizenjournalistnow.com/)

A federal judge in Oregon has ruled that a blogger could not receive protections granted to mainstream journalists because she was not affiliated with a mainstream media outlet.

While the ruling does have implications for citizen journalists and bloggers, the heart of the case revolved around defamation – a claim that isn’t protected by shield laws and that doesn’t make a distinction on the writer’s status.

To me, those folks who focus on the question of whether a blogger is legally a journalist are missing the point. The point is: Were the blogger’s reports true or false? In this case, a man’s reputation was damaged and the blogger appeared to have made no effort to prove her statements. This amounts to reckless disregard for the truth.

Here’s a little bit of the history: Kevin Padrick, an Oregon attorney involved in a bankruptcy case, sued Montana blogger Cynthia Cox for defamation after she called him a “thug” and a “thief” in her blog.

U.S. District Judge Marco Hernandez ruled that Cox was not a journalist because she had no professional qualifications as a journalist and did not work for a legitimate news outlet. She did not have a journalism education or credentials, and failed to provide evidence she produced an independent product, tried to get both sides of the story or adhered to journalistic standards such as checking her facts.

Because she was not a journalist under the law, the judge ruled she could not claim protections, such as the shield law, granted to mainstream media. But the judge also noted that the shield law does not apply to civil actions for defamation.

Here’s where Cox went wrong. She disregarded the issue of libel, which is defamation or injury to someone’s personal reputation and good name. It’s an issue that should be taken very seriously by every individual, but especially by journalists – whether they are members of the mainstream media, bloggers or citizen journalists.

Cox’s allegations that Padrick was a “thug” and a “thief” who “committed tax fraud” were never proven, according to a piece written by The New York Times’ David Carr.

That means Cox published the defamatory statements in her blog with reckless disregard for the truth or actual malice, which is probably what opened the door for a jury on Nov. 29 to award $2.5 million in the case.

There’s a good lesson to be learned here for all journalists, but especially citizen journalists and bloggers, who don’t deal with libel on a regular basis. Be careful in your reporting and word use. Avoid labeling someone in a way that his or her reputation could be damaged. Finally, don’t disregard the truth or write with malice.

Susan Cormier is the co-author of the “Handbook for Citizen Journalists” (http://www.citizenjournalistnow.com/)

Azcentral.com, the online site for The Arizona Republic in Phoenix, has stopped letting citizens comment anonymously on its site.

“In the early days (just a few years ago) of online commenting, I embraced the Wild West freedom that the tools provided in allowing citizens to speak freely about their ideas,” explained Randy Lovely, senior vice president of news and audience development for The Republic.

“Over time, my sentiments have changed as the tone and civility of the anonymous remarks have soured. I still defend your right to express your opinion, but, unfortunately, I don’t know who you are,” Lovely wrote in his posting on azcentral that announced the change.

He said the azcentral staff hope the change, which now requires citizens to comment through their personal Facebook accounts, will lead to an increase in civility and encourage more people to join the conversation.

You’ve got to love the conclusion of his piece: “If you believe strongly enough about something to comment on it, be brave enough to own your comment.

“Still, I may not agree with you, but I defend your right to express your opinion — if you’re willing to stand up and be counted.”

You can read Lovely’s entire piece at http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/2011/11/30/20111130lovely1201-bar-raised-comments-azcentral.html#ixzz1fPL2dkOv

Susan Cormier is the co-author of the “Handbook for Citizen Journalists” (http://www.citizenjournalistnow.com/)

Regardless of who you are or the writing experience you have, you need an editor or at least a friend to help you proof your articles or copy.

It is impossible to catch your own errors, typos, etc. You know what you think you typed, so you read it that way. But is that what shows up on the computer screen in front of you?

The word “your” is a perfect example. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read – and typed – the word “you” when it should have been “your.” Another mistake I’ve made recently is typing concentration instead of concentrating.

I also used the word “memorial” instead of “monument” in a draft of a recent article. Luckily, another person who was familiar with the topic proofed the article and caught my blunder.

Mistakes happen to the best of us. I’ve been reporting and writing for decades, and I still make them. That’s why an editor – or just a friend – is so important to help catch errors.

Ask a friend to take a look at what you’ve written. It may take an extra few minutes, but it may save you some embarrassment.

If a friend – or editor – isn’t available, here are few tips on how to best edit your own copy.

Slow down and take your time – a concept that is sometimes hard to implement when faced with a deadline or time constraint.

Read what you’ve written several times after you have typed it. The first edit should focus on grammar and misspelled or misused words. To best catch those mistakes and typos, read your copy out loud.

The second edit can focus on whether the copy makes sense. How many times have you read an article or an email and wondered what the author really meant to say?

If time allows, give some distance between your readings, like an hour or two. That gives you a chance to walk away, think about something else and then come back more refreshed to look at your writing and catch possible errors.

Finally, don’t forget to check and double-check phone numbers, website addresses and the spelling of people’s names. Those are mistakes you really don’t want to make.

Susan Cormier is the co-author of the “Handbook for Citizen Journalists” (http://www.citizenjournalistnow.com/)

Tom Grubisich’s blog titled “How is Citizen Journalism Playing Out Today?” takes a look at a variety of news outlets and their use or non-use of citizen journalists.

Comments ranged from “we generate over 65 percent of our content from volunteers” to “you can’t depend on citizen journalists.”

In the end, Grubisich concludes that “citizen journalism is in a new place — with less emphasis on ‘citizen’ and more on ‘journalism’.’’

Read the entire blog and see the various opinions at: http://streetfightmag.com/2011/10/27/how-is-citizen-journalism-playing-out-today/.

Susan Cormier is the co-author of the “Handbook for Citizen Journalists” (http://www.citizenjournalistnow.com/).

Here’s a cool idea for citizen journalists who cover local sports.

Sports Reporting Technologies says its SportSiteWare gives citizens a way to write about locals sports and make a business out of it.

Check it out at http://www.sports-reporting.net./. Maybe you can turn your love of sports into a great new business venture.

Susan Cormier is the co-author of the “Handbook for Citizen Journalists” (http://www.citizenjournalistnow.com/).

The training and motivation offered in the “Handbook for Citizen Journalists” has gone international.

The handbook, believed to be the only book written for citizen journalists, was given to all of the participants at the second conference for citizen journalists in Malaysia Sept. 23-25.

Citizen Journalists at conference in Malaysia and their handbooks.

“The citizen journalists were impressed with the book,” Maran Perianen, a trainer of citizen journalists, told handbook co-authors Ron Ross and Susan Cormier in an email.

“I also plan to give the book in my future training for their reference,” said Perianen, who also is the program director for an online news agency, Malaysiakini.

Malaysiakini, with the assistance of Washington, D.C.-based International Center for Journalists, has successfully conducted almost 70 workshops across Malaysian and has trained more than 350 citizen journalists, according to Perianen.

As the result of this training, Perianen said, the citizen journalists have successfully produced more than 1,500 news videos and almost 1,000 news articles.

“These stories have triggered significant reactions from many individuals, organizations and the government itself.”

I am pleased the citizen journalists will be using the “Handbook for Citizen Journalists’’ as a resource guide. I truly believe that the information, motivation and training they will receive from the handbook will help them in their future endeavors.

And, of course, Ron Ross and I both want to congratulate the Malaysian journalists for their work and wish them continued success.

You can visit the Malaysian website at http://cj.my/.

Susan Cormier is the co-author of the “Handbook for Citizen Journalists” (http://www.citizenjournalistnow.com/).

Congratulations are due to a Connecticut newspaper and some mainstream editors for recognizing the importance of including citizens in the news-gathering process.

At a meeting in Denver, Colo., last week, the Associated Press Media Editors awarded their annual innovation award to the Register Citizen of Torrington, Conn., for its Open Newsroom Project.

While the newspaper deserves major kudos, the mainstream editors also should be applauded for their acceptance of the Register Citizen’s pioneering efforts to encourage citizen journalists and bloggers, and open the paper’s doors to the community.

Among the innovative concepts incorporated into Open Newsroom Project are a community media lab with workstations for local bloggers, a community classroom, a newsroom café and open archives. The paper actually encourages community participation and even offers a live-stream of its daily editorial meetings.

As a promoter of citizen journalism and citizen journalism training, my two favorite parts of the project, launched in December 2010, are the community media lab and community classroom.

According to its write-up of the lab, “The difference between our approach and similar efforts in the past is that we do not seek to ‘own’ or control their content. We are just linking to and helping promote the work bloggers are doing on topics or in neighborhoods that we don’t have the resources to cover.

“They get the ‘fire hose’ of our audience traffic directed at their site, and we get to offer a more comprehensive package of local news and information to our readers via aggregation and curation of outside work.”

The Register Citizen also has a full-time editor who works with and trains local bloggers.

But the paper has done even more. It has built a classroom in its newsroom, where it holds classes and workshops on technology, writing and journalism – all of which are open to the public and live-streamed on the web.

Again, according to its write-up, members of the newspaper’s staff were sitting alongside local bloggers, residents and even local public officials at a series of classes on the Freedom of Information Act.

How cool is that?

So, I’d like to add my congratulations to the Register Citizen for a job well done. I look forward to hearing about its continued success and hope similar open newsroom projects start popping up across the country.

Susan Cormier is the co-author of the “Handbook for Citizen Journalists” (http://www.citizenjournalistnow.com/).