As we ring in the New Year here at The Rapidian, we’re taking time to look back, but we're also busy planning for 2012. We just shared our staff’s favorite articles of 2011, and look forward to the articles that are coming in 2012.
We are excited to introduce a new element of news on The Rapidian, by launching some new "bureaus" in late January and early February. These bureaus will provide our audience with articles from a variety of different persepctives, taking on diverse subject matter from some unheard voices in the community.
One of our news bureaus has been up and running for a while now. The Grandville Avenue Arts and Humanities (GAAH) has shared the youth voice with our community. From interviewing pumpkin farmers to touring the WZZM 13 news rooms, these cub reporters have given us insight from their unique perspectives. In the coming year, GAAH has plans to expand their group of reporters to include parents of these cub reporters, as well as some middle schoolers from a local public school.
The Creston Neighorhood Association (CNA) recently released a news brief on The Rapidian that details their hopes and focus for their bureau. The biggest part of their bureau will be accessing the youth voice on social and political issues within Grand Rapids.
LINC Community Revitalization has added stories to our site since 2009, and now they'll take it one step further. Their bureau will focus on the Southtown neighborhood of Grand Rapids. Their reporters will be sharing unique, often unheard, voices from that part of the city.
Our final news bureau will feature journalism students with a specific focus of environmental events and issues within our community. As a part of West Michigan Environmental Action Council (WMEAC), these reporters will bring a very "green" perspective to The Rapidian.
Keep an eye out for some great new reporters from our bureaus in upcoming months: we are excited to give our readers some fresh new perspectives within our community in 2012.
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