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The article presents brief profiles of several journalists chosen by the Nieman Foundation for Journalism as members of the 76th class of Nieman Fellows at Harvard University. "The Sun News" metro columnist and senior writer Issac Bailey is the 2014 Donald W. Reynolds Nieman Fellow in Community Journalism. Other fellows include network television and video producer Susie Banikarim and "Esquire" magazine articles editor Tyler Cabot.

The article examines citizen journalism and its use by traditional mass media and online journalism outlets. The possibility of harnessing the resources of many individuals to produce journalism to supplement the reporting of traditional journalists moved from theory to practice in the 2000s. The start-up period saw many reverses, as the first attempts to make citizen journalism an ongoing enterprise met unanticipated problems with organizing and managing large numbers of volunteer participants. Two examples are provided of citizen journalism which surmounted those difficulties, a regular feature called "Get Published," which provides local news to the "Cincinnati Enquirer" newspaper, and the "Off the Bus" feature of the Web site The Huffington Post, which offered coverage of the 2008 U.S. presidential election.

The article focuses on iReport, CNN's platform for citizen journalism. According to the author, the vetting process is the core of iReport with about 8 percent of contributions being selected for vetting. The author adds that the vetting process also alerts television (TV) and digital producers that there will likely be an element ready to be featured later in the day.

The article examines the effects on journalists, both broadcast and print, of writing blogs for their organizations' Web sites. A survey of over 200 such journalists was conducted. The study found that most journalists reported significant changes in how they conducted reporting and presented their work. A majority said that blogs altered their relationship with their audiences to an interactive one. The primary effect of this shift was that the journalists noted they were generating far more story ideas from comments and suggestions made by blog readers than from official sources of information in business and government.

The article presents a discussion of new partners for investigative reporters. It is mentioned that people who live in the community could help reporters exceed their limitations when it comes to inside information and insight. Some strategies for investigative reporters are beat blogging, citizen journalism and partnering with local television or radio station. Beat blogging is a concept created by Jay Rosen wherein reporters are linked with a social network of experts. Under citizen journalism, technological know-how is provided by citizens.

A list is presented of recommendations for persons wishing to start a hyperlocal news Web site for their social network or community. The first priority is realizing that dealing with citizen journalists requires a great deal of personal interaction and a constant need to be aware of the contributors' motivations. Creating a high public profile in the community is essential for the Web site's organizers. Organizers should be aware that as in all volunteer-based activities, growth will be sporadic, there will be many more people peripherally involved than there are regular contributors, and that success cannot be measured by a conventional business model.

The article focuses on the need for journalists to be more aware of the role of community colleges in higher education. Topics mentioned include the link between ethnicity and how a journalist covers and interprets community stories, investigations conducted on alleged financial mismanagement and admissions procedures at Florida A&M University, and the role of education and learning experiences in shaping a person's life.