The New Science Journalism project was launched today as a worldwide public-contributed journalism experiment.
Launched to coincide with World Environment Day 2009, the NSJ aims to present current world science issues on an international platform – integrating the latest online technological developments. It is based at the University of New South Wales in Sidney.
Founder and director of the project Alison Fay Binney said: “The initiative will form part of a post graduate research project into science communication in internet media. The project will test the ability of globally distributed amateur reporters to provide viable, readable, and news breaking stories about the environment in their locality.
‘We are at a very critical point in the history of both the environment and mass media communication. The reason why this NSJ Project is so compelling is simply because of the sheer need to collaborate using all the resources available.”
Using publicly written content the website will be constantly and updated, and employ the “New Science Journalism Advertising Revenue Exchange” scheme in order to compensate contributors for their work
Fay Binney said: “The original idea is that students who contribute to the online magazine in any calendar month get a percent share of advertising revenue raised in that same month.”
She said: “The project addresses: the lack of opportunities for students interested in internet media to strategically direct their career into professional science communication, declining employment in science journalism (including significant layoffs by global network, CNN), the looming crises associated with global climate change and a surge of interest in various remedies such as new energy markets.”
Those who wish to contribute may do so here.
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