Baltimore Encourages Local Bloggers
by: Juliah Mason
Baltimore citizens are plunging into an amateur journalism "career". WBAL, a major Baltimore TV news station is now allowing its viewers to get online and create their own blogs. WBAL features a link on their site to something called “u local”. “U local” is a form of participatory journalism, where Baltimore citizens are encouraged to create a profile in which they create their own blogs with unlimited media uploads.
Each profile can contain pictures, audio, video footage, and stories. The site is broken down by category allowing the user to choose a topic that most interests them. Some categories are generic such as weather, love interests, pets, etc. but others are unique to Baltimore interests such as the city skyline, the Ravens, and local businesses. This site allows people from all over Maryland to connect with each other and to keep friends, family, and neighbors up-to-date on personal interests, ideas, and discoveries. To check out "u local" for yourself go to http://ulocal.wbaltv.com/ .
