A mission statement for the WiredJournalists.com community

[Ryan Sholin]

WiredJournalists.com was created with self-motivated, eager-to-learn reporters, editors, executives, students and faculty in mind.

Our goal is to help journalists who have few resources on hand other than their own desire to make a difference and help journalism grow into its new 21st Century role.

You don't need the best equipment, the biggest budget or even management support to accomplish worthy goals. The only requirement is a willingness to learn and a mind open to new ways of thinking about journalism.

We are here to help each other learn basic skills and learn how new technology and new societal expectations for media are changing journalism.

At WiredJournalists.com we are all teachers and we are all students. We help each other and learn together. Those who know more should help those who know less. Those with questions should never be afraid to ask them.

We don't set standards. We encourage you to set your own, but we don't judge each other's work based on a-priori, Big-J Journalism approaches.

We believe modern journalism is about self-reliance and a "just do it" attitude. We want to see you learn how to get things done quickly without prejudice over quality or worries about what other journalists might think.

The skills you learn at WiredJournalists.com should help you either serve your community better -- whether your publishers and editors recognize the value or not -- ­ or enable you to work independently as a self-contained, fully equipped modern journalist.

Welcome to the community.

-- Howard Owens, Ryan Sholin, and Zac Echola

[anita]

I like your mission statement. I find it encouraging and motivating. A shout out to Angela for inviting me. This looks like a really good place.

[Ryan Sholin]

Awesome, Anita! Glad to see you here.

[Allison Cooper]

This is awesome. Thanks for getting the word to us, Ryan.

[Robb Montgomery]

I have blogged it:

Now - when can I get you guys on a podcast to talk about it?

[Sherri Talley]

What a great service this site provides. As soon as I get caught up and can read more here, I'll have questions concerning more mobile journalism. Thanks for being here.

[Kyle Nobody]

good stuff - thanks!

[David B. Jacobson]

I'm new, and the mission statement covers the basics of what we need to learn. As an old-timer, who used to hang typed copy on a meat hook next to the door to the presses, I'm trying to adapt to the electronic movement. So I've still got a lot to learn!

[Pedro Jeronimo]

I am also new here, and a like this one: «At WiredJournalists.com we are all teachers and we are all students.» As David B. Jacobson also said: «I've still got a lot to learn!» And so am I.

[anita]

I'm in the market for a hard drive video camera. Anyone know of one that plays nicely with a Mac