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WireTap Has a New Look!
By Kristina Rizga, WireTap
Posted on October 16, 2006, Printed on November 22, 2008
http://www.wiretapmag.org//42794/
Dear Readers: Today, I am proud to present you with WireTap's new look. This overhaul of the magazine has been possible only because of the steady and growing support from our readers, writers, and advisors. With this redesign, we have taken the first step toward creating a bigger, broader and more comprehensive youth magazine. If this is your first visit here, WireTap is a national online magazine by and for young people, which provides a new generation of writers and activists with a space to network, debate and organize. We feature investigative journalism, news analysis, profiles of young community organizers, opinion pieces by young leaders and coverage of social and cultural trends. WireTap also collaborates with the best of dozens of other independent media -- youth webzines, campus papers, and blogs -- to amplify the work of a new generation of journalists and activists. We are here to foster dialogue, challenge stereotypes, inspire action, and give young people a voice in the media. More, better content The new site is a result of our many, collective conversations on how to best support young journalists, provide a space for young leaders to communicate their vision to a national audience, and engage more young readers into civic life. We decided that our "Special Coverage Areas" will help support an ongoing forum on issues that matter to young people and are often overlooked by the mainstream or progressive media. The content we are most proud of -- investigative pieces, sharp analysis from a younger perspective, or reflections by young leaders not present in other media -- will stay on the front page longer and be showcased more prominently, in our "Features" section. We are thrilled to welcome young bloggers to our mix, who come from across the country to point out important but overlooked news and tell us how and why they affect young people. Some of the upcoming posts will look at the most contested races in the midterm elections and how young people are leading organizing efforts there. Our bloggers will also cover the latest issues in education, race, healthcare, immigration, and many more. Who said only journalism graduates can be real writers and reporters? Journalism is a unique field in many ways, but none more so than by allowing anyone -- regardless of education, training or experience -- an equal opportunity to work as a journalist. Wiretap is dedicated to publishing journalism and opinion by, for and about young people; it's why we're here. With that in mind, we created a section for new writers, citizen reports and bloggers to encourage everyone to share their stories, and give them the tools to tell the best stories possible. We hope you will use our collection of resources to report stories that need to be heard for WireTap or other media outlets. People that made all of this possible WireTap has been a collective march since 1998. As newsrooms and magazines -- and with that places where young people can practice their skills and be heard -- are shrinking, it's important to thank the people behind the scenes that have made this project flourish against all odds. Last year, we brought together some of the most effective, dedicated and smart young journalists and organizers to help us strengthen and expand WireTap. Please visit our Staff page and meet this inspiring group of people that will continue guiding us ahead. This re-launch wouldn't have happened without their vision and support. We thank Don Hazen, the Executive Director of Independent Media Institute, who founded this project and kept it alive through thick and thin. Former editors of WireTap -- Seeta Pena Gangadharan, Carrie Ching, Jean Chen and Twilight Greenaway -- engaged, trained and published hundreds of young writers and leaders and won a Webby Award for WireTap for its content. One of the biggest shout-outs goes out to our volunteer designer Mike Stern, who gave up his social life for over three months to donate his badass design skills. Our technology director, Shawn Sutherland, magically translated all of the design into user-friendly features. Contributing editor Matthew Wheeland helped pull together our tools for new writers and suggested hundreds of improvements for the new site. Most of all, we thank our writers, reporters and bloggers that contribute to the site every day, often after a long day at their day jobs. And we thank our supporters, who make this vision possible, year after year. This is your site This site wouldn't exist without the continued support and feedback from our readers. Please do tell us what you think, and we will continue adding your suggestions. And the next time someone tells you that young people these days are "apathetic" and "violent," tell them to check out WireTap. We exist because there are thousands of young writers, organizers, and critical thinkers, who fight injustices and make positive social change every day. There are many more stories to be heard. Please stop by often, subscribe to our weekly newsletter or RSS feed, and tell your friends about us. Thank you for your continued support! Kristina Rizga
WireTap Director and Editor
K.Rizga AT WireTapMag.org.
© 2008 Wiretap Magazine. All rights reserved.
View this story online at: http://www.wiretapmag.org//42794/
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