So here’s an interesting topic for citizen journalism discussions: elections.  In a closing address, Adam Clayton Powell III from the University of Southern California discussed the kind of variety in content that you can find when you let people talk freely about elections.  And surely citizens journalism is a really important tool for democratic elections, we are taught that democracy is about the people after all.

Props to Matt Buckland who is ahead of the pack for the SA elections next year and has already contacted the Big People to ask them to allow bloggers in to cover the election. 

But a funny FYI about controversial citizen coverage in the US: It is illegal to buy a phone without a GPS locator.  Which makes it hard to give your opinion on controversial stuff if you are always looking over your shoulder, and if people can always know where you are.  My quotation of the day surely has to be Powell’s closing remark that  “It’s not Big Brother, we’re all Big Brother”. 

So it’s been a fun day at DCI 3.0.  One of the highpoints for me was the diversity of angles that you can take when looking at concepts and realities of citizen journalism.  Info and discussions included mobile, WiFi, podcasts, blogging, citizen journalism platforms and the value of having both traditional and citizen media.

Over and out for 2008  :)