#mediamonday: IJNet
One can imagine the clack clack of a typewriter punching in information about opportunities for journalists onto crisp sheets of paper, which were then Xeroxed (back then, everyone said “Xerox” for copy), hand-stuffed into envelopes, stamped, and mailed. Eventually, fax machines eliminated the need to copy, stuff, and mail, but faxing still required a lot of time. These were the early days of IJNet.
Today, the miracle of the Internet and mobile technology provide IJNet’s creator, the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), the ability to reach the entirety of the world’s networked population. Reaching over 185 countries, IJNet, an online space for all things journalism, has seen a significant increase in its web traffic since its relaunch a year ago . The site publishes training and networking opportunities for journalists, tips on tools and innovations in journalism, and news and commentary about global media. Journalists from across the globe–whether they are professional, aspiring, or citizen journalists–can find this information in seven languages: English, Arabic, Spanish, Chinese, Persian, Russian, and Portuguese.
Founded in the mid-eighties, IJNet has evolved with the rapid technological advances of our time, and social media is an important part of the IJNet strategy. You can find IJNet on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google+, and Sina Weibo in the various IJNet languages.
Examples of IJNet content:
- Opportunities: Exchange program open for journalists [U.S., Russia]
http://ijnet.org/opportunities/exchange-program-open-journalists-us-russia - Tools: UMapper: an easy mapping tool for journalists on deadline
http://ijnet.org/blog/umapper-easy-mapping-tool-journalists-deadline - Blog: How a volunteer news brigade broke through Libya’s Internet blackout
http://ijnet.org/blog/how-volunteer-news-brigade-broke-libyas-internet-blackout
A new feature on IJNet is the “journalist of the month,” where journalists from across the globe talk about their work and how they use IJNet. This month’s winner is Paromita Pain from India. Read about her here: http://ijnet.org/stories/ijnet-journalist-month-paromita-pain
IJNet is part of ICFJ’s arsenal of journalist tools and programs, including ICFJ Anywhere, a site for online journalism courses worldwide, Knight International Journalism Fellowships, reports and toolkits, and ICFJ’s training programs, which are bringing journalists across the globe into the digital age to increase the flow of quality news.
