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Holtz Communications + Technology

Shel Holtz
Communicating at the Intersection of Business and Technology
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University of Michigan seeks “news with a voice”

The proliferation of citizen-journalism continues. The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor has launched a new online news service and invited students ranging from high school to grad school to contribute its contents. Highestwire lets any student—not just University of Michigan students—post articles, along with images and multimedia clips, on any topic that strikes their fancy. “As long as you’re writing good stuff, you’re all right with us,” the site proclaims. While editors will touch up stories submitted by students, the site seeks “news with a voice,” according to editor-in-chief Karen B. Schwartz, a Columbia University graduate student. She joins two other editors—one in Michigan and one in Cambodia—who receive modest stipends for their efforts.

The site was launched by the University of Michigan’s Interactive Communications and Simulations Group. According to the site, it was originally conceived as a newswire for high school newspapers, “but now also includes publications and articles by college students, civic groups, political organizations, fiction writers’ clubs, sports organizations—you name it.” Contributors can submit stories directly or start their own publication.

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