By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette

Tuesday, August 17, 2010, 8:01 a.m. -- As the 2010 U.S. Census will eventually will demonstrate, Nelson County remains a growing community. As any news organization will tell you, there's more news in a community than can be aired in a broadcast or printed in a newspaper.

In an effort to broaden the coverage of our growing community, the Nelson County Gazette is recruiting writers from the various communities in the county to become "citizen reporters" -- we want to know what is happening in your neighborhood.

The term "neighborhood" or "community" is defined as an area of the county that retains a distinction as a community: It includes but isn't limited to places like Nelsonville, Fairfield, High Grove, Woodlawn, Chaplain, Bloomfield, New Haven, Balltown, Howardstown and more.

Community journalism is not a new phenomenon; it is as old as the printed newspaper itself. For decades, community newspapers relied on writers from the communities in their area to submit their news -- the comings and goings of relatives, news of local church revivals, who celebrated a birthday, wedding or anniversary as well as news of loved ones out of state or overseas. As newspapers evolved from local, Mom & Pop businesses to corporate, out-of-state owned-and-managed profit centers, this once-great spirit of community was lost.

By becoming a community writer, you can help restore that sense of community and let others in our area know what's going on across the county.

DETAILS, DETAILS. Community writers for the Gazette must live in the area they wish to write about. Their name and an e-mail address will accompany their community columns; anonymous writers need not apply. Writers will be given great latitude for what they write about in their submissions, though the Gazette reserves the right to edit all submitted content. News items that are libelous or defamatory will not be published. All community writers will receive a Nelson County Gazette e-mail address for their use while serving as a contributor.

For more information, contact editor Jim Brooks at (502) 460-2223 or editor@nelsoncountygazette.com.

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