Assignments
Weblog Goal
My goal is to create a space for discussion about green initiatives in Chicago.
After experimenting with different types of news coverage, I’ve decided that I want my blog to serve as a bulletin board of upcoming green events, with anonymous feedback on how the event went. This could really help well-intentioned groups that are passionate about shifting public debate to environmental issues to focus on how they can build more support. Ideally, this kind of site would bring in those people who are on the fringes of eco-activism– people who care, but not that much. My site would bridge that divide.
I would start with biking events in Chicago, because bikers encompass all ages and backgrounds, and are an active and visible force representing environmental issues. Then I would expand to organizations focused on topics such as global warming, Lake Michigan’s water quality and the preservation of natural areas, to name a few.
I also want to make this site as engaging and funny as possible. I want to continue with my David-Sedaris style Stories from the Public Transit, to make people laugh about the inanity and adventure that is chicago public transit, but at the same time, to encourage people to use it and experience their own ridiculous stories. I’d also ask my readers to post the weirdest stories that happen to them on the public transit, and we’d have weekly competitions for the funniest story that is the best written. Prizes would be donated by environmental groups, who would want the publicity.
If I had unlimited resources, I’d make sure not one post went up without a photograph or video clip. Multimedia really adds flavor to a weblog, and I’d like to hold myself to a standard I want more bloggers to follow.
Community Snapshot
My audience right now is my mom. Potentially, my readers would be all the cyclists in the city–that’s where I want to start. Then I will expand to attract anyone involved or thinking of getting involved in a green effort. My site will act to publicize it, debate it and improve the event for next time.
Plan
• Bring in Chicago Critical Mass and the Chicago Cycling Coalition, advertise their upcoming events and provide a forum for criticism and feedback of events.
• Stories from the Public Transit: I will write more stories and hold competitions for the best stories. Readers vote on the funniest/ best-written story each week. Prizes will be donated by local environmental organizations in exchange for the publicity.
• Photographs and/ or video with each post