NY Times enlists readers as community reporters

The New York Times is asking readers to cover local body meetings as part of its The Local – Fort Greene/Clinton Hill blog initiative.





In a recent post writer Andy Green said this:

We are about to get a lot more serious here at The Local about our mission to turn all of you into community reporters. Next week, over on the right side of your screen, we will launch our Virtual Assignment Desk. Through this mechanism, you will ask us to cover things and we will do it. We will ask you to cover things on a regular basis and, we hope, you will do it. More and more important neighborhood things will get covered. The blog will grow. It will be beautiful.

Here is your first assignment: We’re looking for someone to go to the 88th Precinct Community Council meeting next Wednesday, the 10th.

It’s at 7:30 p.m. at 333 Lafayette Ave, the Pratt Towers apartment complex, in the community room. At these things, the precinct commander, Capt. Anthony Tasso, or his appointed proxy, will field questions from the audience. There are a few other presenters. It’s usually pretty interesting, or at least the good parts are. Sometimes it even gets a little heated.

We’re looking for someone to go, take notes, take a photo and write up the festivities. Get exact quotes and names of the people you’re quoting. And send the results to us by early Thursday morning. We can explain the details and give you basic training.

One to watch.