Help Wanted - Citizen Journalists

No, seriously.

Pegasus News depends on contributions from its readers. Although our staff of professional journalists will cover traditional news stories, we know that our readers usually “know more than we do” and may want to share their expertise with the entire community. Therefore, we would like to give our readers a voice by allowing them to participate as “citizen journalists” who will submit stories, columns, audio and video on subjects about which they are most passionate.

Because Pegasus News will not be constrained by print space limitations, we have the ability to write about niche topics that traditional media may not cover. For example, parents will be able to receive stories and pictures from their kids’ youth sports leagues, and local jazz aficionados will receive regular articles about the local jazz scene. As a result, citizen journalists should write for an audience comprised of readers with a strong interest in a given topic. In other words, we are not seeking “surface level” articles written for a general audience. If you write about SMU football, we want in-depth analysis of gameplans and depth charts. If you write about the Frisco city council, we want detailed descriptions and analysis of the meetings.

If you are interested in writing, please submit to citizens@pegasusnews.com a writing sample, a description of the subject area you would like to write about, and a brief explanation as to why you are qualified to write about the topic. It is perfectly acceptable to say that even though you are an insurance adjuster, your true passion is rugby. It is also acceptable to write about topics in which you have a personal stake, such as politics or your industry, so long as that is clearly disclosed in the items submitted. Our readers will be able to comment on any Pegasus News story, so it is in all of our writers’ best interests to be open about their intentions rather than have a reader point out any hidden agendas.

Mike has, by far, the best thought-out model I’ve seen so far for this kind of endeavour.