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Dave Poulson speaking at the Knight-Batten awards where the WIKI project won an honorable mention and high praise.
MSU's Great Lakes Wiki receives national recognition.
A Michigan State University experiment in environmental reporting is among the projects recognized by a national competition for cutting edge journalism.
Judges of the Knight-Batten Awards recognized MSU's Great Lakes Wiki "for collecting information as broad and deep as the Great Lakes it covers." The contest spotlights the creative use of new information ideas and technologies that involve citizens in public issues. Only 10 of the 133 entries were honored.
The site at GreatLakesWiki.org, is among four projects that judges cited in a new honorable mention category. They said the project "has the categories, content and organization that made this wiki the best of those entered."
Creators of each project presented them on Sept. 17 at a symposium, "Creativity Unleashed," at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
The Great Lakes Wiki is a collaborative effort within MSU's College of Communication Arts and Sciences. It was created in a citizen journalism class taught by David Poulson, associate director of the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism, and Cliff Lampe, an assistant professor in the Department of Telecommunications, Information Studies and Media.
The site helps citizens, students, policymakers, scientists, artists, business operators and others collaboratively publish news and information about the ecology, culture, economy, recreation and other aspects of a region with nearly 20 percent of the world's fresh surface water.
"Its strength is that it allows readers to come at environmental information from diverse points of view," Poulson said.
Those who appreciate art may learn about climate change from watching interviews with artists involved in Chicago's Cool Globes public art project.
See Great Lakes Wiki Cool Globe
Music lovers may learn about invasive species while listening to, "I've got the round goby blues," written and sung by the scientist who discovered that this voracious fish entered the Great Lakes.
See Great Lakes Wiki Invasive Species
The site is a great place for students to publish experimental forms of journalism, Poulson said. One group reported an MSU environmental conference as video clips of the speakers who appear to answer questions selected by viewers.
Full story online at http://www.greatlakeswiki.org/
index.php/Great_Lakes_Wiki_Award.
