>Lopifalko at 13:01, 21 March 2021

2021-03-21T13:01:53Z

New page

{{Infobox organization
| name = Citizen Matters
| logo = CitizenMatters logo.png
| type = [Not for Profit, Trust]
| founded_date = 2008
| founders = Meera K, Subramaniam Vincent
| origins =
| area_served = [[India]]
| focus = [[Urban Journalism]]
| method =
| revenue =
| endowment =
| num_volunteers =
| num_employees = < 3
| num_members =
| owner =
| homepage = [http://citizenmatters.in/ citizenmatters.in]
| dissolved =
| footnotes =
}}

'''Citizen Matters''' is anindependent news media outlet with a focus on cities and citizens by reporting on critical issues, ideas and solutions to India’s urban issues. Citizen Matters is published by Oorvani Foundation, a Bangalore-registered trust setup in 2013 to develop and promote journalism on governance, citizenship and society in India at the city, state and national levels. <ref>{{Cite web|title=About us|url=https://citizenmatters.in/about-us|access-date=2020-06-02|website=Citizen Matters|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>[http://www.livemint.com/Consumer/zCZo69fBC1WyjnUvypRyjO/Citizen-Matters-A-local-news-outlet-for-Bengaluru.html Citizen Matters: A local news outlet for Bengaluru]</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8297642.stm Bangalore – City in beta]</ref>

== History ==
Citizen Matters was founded in Bengaluru in 2008 by Meera K and Subramaniam Vincent. The idea for Citizen Matters emerged after the duo felt that while there existed many local newspapers and online news media outlets, there was no English local news outlet dedicated to reportage of civic issues from Bengaluru. This prompted them to start the website focussed on news from [[Bangalore|Bengaluru]] from the citizens' perspective. In 2009''',''' a few months after the launch of Citizen Matters - the website, a fortnightly magazine was launched. It was one of the first websites that ventured into print owing to the demands from their readers.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Citizen Matters: A successful model for a citizen journalism news site|url=https://ijnet.org/en/story/citizen-matters-successful-model-citizen-journalism-news-site|access-date=2020-06-02|website=International Journalists' Network|language=en}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-04-10|title=For the past decade, Bengaluru's crowdfunded Citizen Matters has been getting its readers to report on civic issues. This is how it works.|url=https://www.splicemedia.com/bengaluru-citizen-matters/|access-date=2020-06-02|website=Splice|language=en-US}}</ref> Back then, it was Bengaluru’s first online community e-newsmagazine. The print edition of Citizen Matters ran from 2009 to 2012.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Citizen Matters: A successful model for a citizen journalism news site|url=https://ijnet.org/en/story/citizen-matters-successful-model-citizen-journalism-news-site|access-date=2020-06-02|website=International Journalists' Network|language=en}}</ref>

=== About the founders ===
Meera K is the founder editor of Citizen Matters. A long time resident of Bengaluru, she has been an ICFJ Knight fellow and also been an Ashoka fellow. <ref>{{Cite web|title=Meera K|url=https://www.icfj.org/about/profiles/meera-k|access-date=2020-06-02|website=International Center for Journalists|language=en}}</ref> Subramaniam Vincent is currently the director of the Journalism and Media Ethics program at the Santa Clara University. He was also the 2016 John S Knight fellow at Stanford University. He is no longer involved in the day-to-day functioning of the website. <ref>{{Cite web|title=Subramaniam Vincent - Markkula Center for Applied Ethics|url=https://www.scu.edu/ethics/about-the-center/people/subramaniam-vincent/|access-date=2020-06-02|website=www.scu.edu}}</ref>

== Funding ==
When Citizen Matters was started, initial funding for the website came from the founders and a few donors. They also tried selling 'Living in Bengaluru' guidebooks consisting of step-by-step guides for essential procedures like getting birth and death certificates, driving licenses, passports, using BMTC bus services, knowing traffic fines, getting property papers, living in apartments, voter registration, getting water and electricity connections, filing FIRs, selecting school boards among others.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Living in Bengaluru 2.0 Paperback – 1 January 2014|publisher=Citizen Matters|year=2012|isbn=978-8192566931|location=Bengaluru, India|pages=https://www.amazon.in/Living-Bengaluru-2-0-Citizen-Matters/dp/8192566935}}</ref> However, they ceased its publication eventually. Their attempts at raising funds from angel investors and venture capitalists did not materialise. Eventually, they decided to go the non-profit route started Oorvani Foundation in August 2013 to run and manage the site to fund Citizen Matters through grants and donations.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Chandran|first=Rahul|date=2015-01-12|title=Citizen Matters: A local news outlet for Bengaluru|url=https://www.livemint.com/Consumer/zCZo69fBC1WyjnUvypRyjO/Citizen-Matters-A-local-news-outlet-for-Bengaluru.html|access-date=2020-06-25|website=Livemint|language=en}}</ref> Inspired by the National Public Radio model in the U.S., they have launched annual drives to solicit funds from readers to fund the news website.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-04-10|title=For the past decade, Bengaluru's crowdfunded Citizen Matters has been getting its readers to report on civic issues. This is how it works.|url=https://www.splicemedia.com/bengaluru-citizen-matters/|access-date=2020-06-25|website=Splice|language=en-US}}</ref> They have also received grants from organisations viz. Rohini Nilekani foundation, Daksh among others.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Citizen Matters: A successful model for a citizen journalism news site|url=https://ijnet.org/en/story/citizen-matters-successful-model-citizen-journalism-news-site|access-date=2020-06-25|website=International Journalists' Network|language=en}}</ref>

== Citizen Journalism ==
Citizen Matters uses a hybrid model of contributions from professional journalists combined with citizen-generated content. More than a third of their content comes from citizens. They have a small in-house staff consisting of an associate editor, two or three staff reporters and the co-founders that edit and vet and heavily rely on independent journalists for articles on their website. Each piece is edited and sent back to the citizen journalist before getting published. Examples involving citizens in their journalism include stories about the city's master plan where by a citizen cross-checked the Bengaluru masterplan’s map of the area where he lived and found that it showed a road that did not exist.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-04-10|title=For the past decade, Bengaluru's crowdfunded Citizen Matters has been getting its readers to report on civic issues. This is how it works.|url=https://www.splicemedia.com/bengaluru-citizen-matters/|access-date=2020-06-02|website=Splice|language=en-US}}</ref> They have also used stories by citizens on issues related to road widening, solid waste management among other things.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Chandran|first=Rahul|date=2015-01-12|title=Citizen Matters: A local news outlet for Bengaluru|url=https://www.livemint.com/Consumer/zCZo69fBC1WyjnUvypRyjO/Citizen-Matters-A-local-news-outlet-for-Bengaluru.html|access-date=2020-06-02|website=Livemint|language=en}}</ref>

== Awards ==
Citizen Matters has received several awards for their journalistic work. It was declared the joint winner of the Manthan Award (South Asia and Asia Pacific), instituted by the Digital Empowerment Foundation, in the e-News & Journalism category. Citizen Matters has also received the Manthan Award South West India, instituted by the Digital Empowerment Foundation, in the e-News & Journalism category, for creating an online resource of news and independent coverage.<ref>[http://www.livemint.com/Specials/D2DwLaIYMHTelPk3CBPCoK/Digital-innovators-honoured-at-Manthan.html Digital innovators honoured at Manthan]</ref> Their journalists have also won several awards for their work.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Awards and Recognition|url=https://citizenmatters.in/awards-and-recognition|access-date=2020-06-02|website=Citizen Matters|language=en-GB}}</ref>
== References ==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Citizen journalism]]
[[Category:Indian news websites]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Citizen Matters}}

Citizen Matters - Revision history

>Lopifalko at 13:01, 21 March 2021