This past week  the Rapidian's 3rd press pit, which brought a chance for local citizen journalists to come together and exchange ideas and gain advice from each other, was held at the Rapidian's Wealthy St office. I was anxious to meet some of the other reporters and perhaps see what kind of a role I could fill at the Rapidian.

Ryan Hipp was the guest speaker. Hipp discussed the need for transparency in local media, and about how this was something the Rapidian requires of its reporters already. He also  spoke about his role as a new reporter, and how he chose to define himself as a reporter by developing himself through certain types of stories and topics.That was a concept that resonated well with me. I don't necessarily feel that I am the logical choice for a lot of the types of stories on the Rapidian, but to just focus on a few topics that I actually know something about, topics I am passionate about, sounded like a good strategy.

What I took away from the press pit was that it was within the reach of all of Grand Rapids' citizens to share their passions and interests with the community . That we can provide our own content and cover the issues important to us ourselves. You can't count on the corporate mainstream media "local guys" to do that for you. Their sponsors simply won't hear of it.

So if you're interested in participating more fully in the community around you, and sharing those experiences with you fellow  Rapidians, then I would encourage you to sign up and start the wheels turning. Citizen journalism is not only a right of the people, it is our responsibility to get out there and to tell the truth that the mainstream media simply isn't interested in.