Recent news from the Center for Civic Media

68 Blocks: The Boston Globe's Experiment in Embedded Local Journalism

Submitted by kanarinka on May 1, 2013 - 9:58pm

The Boston Globe's 68 blocks series is a unique experiment in embedded local journalism.

In 2012, the Boston Globe undertook a year-long effort to understand the Bowdoin-Geneva neighborhood of Dorchester. For decades, journalists had been reporting shootings and homicides there -- rushing to crime scenes and then leaving to file an article on time. The Globe wanted to tell a more complete story of the neighborhood.

Philosophy and Civic Engagement

Submitted by erhardt on April 29, 2013 - 12:29pm

Last Friday, April 26, 2013, I attended the Philosophy and Civic Engagement symposium at Tufts University. Three speakers looked at different philosophical aspects of civic engagement: Anthony Laden of the University of Illinois at Chicago discussed the importance of reasoning as a social, interactive practice in democratic citizenship, Meira Levinson of Harvard Graduate School of Education investigated the pros and cons of redefining civic action beyond public activities, and Peter Levine of Tufts University and CIRCLE discussed the philosophical aspects of his forthcoming book: We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For. Below are my notes from their talks.

Holmes Wilson, internet activism, and why we need you

Submitted by mstem on April 25, 2013 - 2:05pm

Fight For the Future is known for its massive viral organizing campaigns that changed Internet history both nationally and globally. Faced with the passage of Stop Online Piracy Act/SOPA and the Protect-IP Act/PIPA — legislation that would have jeopardized the open Internet as we know it — Fight for the Future organized the largest and most visible online protest in history. Holmes Wilson has also co-founded Miro, OpenCongress, and Amara. He’s been at the forefront of a range of open internet and participatory culture projects and campaigns.

Guns, Wars and Terrorism in a real size PageOneX (photo essay)

Submitted by pablo on April 25, 2013 - 2:53am

I finally installed the PageOneX real size project with stories related to guns, wars and terrorism. Come visit the display this week to the second floor of building E14 at MIT Media Lab. Thanks all of you that helped in this process!
What follows is a photographic guide to the PageOneX real size installation.
You’ll not find Washington Post or LA Times in Boston news stands. It’s so difficult to get the paper!

My Friend Martin

Submitted by Petey on April 18, 2013 - 12:03pm

Please donate to the Richard Family Fund.

Martin Richard died Monday, killed by bombs hidden at the Boston Marathon. He was 8. He was my friend.

Many people have come to know Martin through this picture, shared by a teacher of his at Neighborhood House Charter School in Dorchester where he was a student. They’ve come to know his poignant poster which pleads for peace. They’ve come to know his toothy, goofy grin. He was too young for braces. He was too young to die.

I first met Martin when he was a toddler. We'd not been there five minutes before his older brother bonked him on the head with a basketball. Not maliciously, but curiously, as if to see what would happen. As the eldest of three brothers, I understood, since I also saw younger siblings as interesting experiments. Behold, science in action! Martin blinked, screwed up his face as if to cry, hesitated, and laughed instead. Hypothesis validated: Martin was awesome.

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