Citizen journalists should be wary of distracting or ego-stroking media coverage

David Sasaki directs Rising Voices, a Web platform set up to "empower under-represented communities to make their voices heard online."

In a new column, the 2007 Knight News Challenge winner hints at his struggle to keep the focus.

Rising Voices began with the goal diversifying the viewpoints and content on the conversational web by including members of communities that have historically been excluded from both traditional and new media. However, we quickly came to realize that these projects should meet the needs of the members of the participating communities and not just the needs of international news junkies looking for a story that no one else knows about. Mobile Voices, I believe, came to the same realization. Rather than just changing popular perceptions of migrant workers, several of the participants mentioned their desire to use their mobile phones to find work and send out alerts about immigration raids.

Also see, How training can help citizen journalists

Deaf activist says, "Train citizens with the skills necessary to be effective reporters"

Brein McNamara, who is deaf, is a winner of the 2008 Knight News Challenge.

Mr. NcNamara is also an activist trying to get for the deaf minority "equitable access to the tools of citizen journalism in American Sign Language." Here is why he supports citizen journalism:

Many everyday people have looked at their communities and tried to answer for the lack of information that exists. This is especially important when such a lack is a root cause at the persistence of many other problems in the community. This is why I wish to step up; something needs to be done. This is what forms citizen journalism, those who step up to answer the needs of their community.