My Picks for the Best "Citizen Journalism" Articles of 2007

One of the greatest things about Associated Content is the forum it provides for everyone to report the news as they see it. It means that we no longer have to rely on the sanitized media stories we see from the large networks, and that ordinary people can call the shots as they see them.

Given the transformational nature of "citizen journalism" on our culture and world as we see it, I wanted to call attention to some of the best articles I have seen throughout 2007.

Politicizing the California Wildfires - This is an outstanding piece written during the tragic Southern California wildfires of 2007, and gave a very real view of how Democratic leaders tried to use the fires to press their cause. I agree with the author's view that in such a tragedy, political affiliations and agendas should be put aside - we should focus on helping those affected instead.

Searching for Context in the Virginia Tech Shootings - The Virginia Tech shootings will go down in history as one of the most tragic events of 2007. This article was timely, and presented a wider view of the situation than the current news media at the time. It painted a picture of contrast between the town itself, and the evil that happened there. I came away with a greater understanding of the situation after reading this well done piece.

Minneapolis Bridge Collapse Brings Forward Eerie Coincidence with Last Major Bridge Disaster in U.S. History - Another great tragedy of the year was the collapse of a major bridge in Minneapolis. This article compared this bridge disaster with a long forgotten one, a 1967 bridge collapse on Highway 35 between West Virginia and Ohio in which 46 people were killed. I learned of a possible collapse mechanism in this article, and I still think twice before crossing ANY bridge after reading it.

It is 10 P.m. Does America Know Where Our Nukes Are? This piece injected humor into what was one of the most disturbing scenarios of 2007 - nuclear missles were inadvertently flown over US airspace without the pilot's knowledge. I fail to see how this could have been an accident. It is good that this was caught, and reported. But did you notice how quickly the news media hushed this one up? Associated Content journalists didn't!

Is the World Facing 'Peak Food'? Many of us have watched the specials claiming we have hit "Peak Oil" - but peak food is a thought provoking and very valid concern. Food shortages already face much of the world, and rising food costs here are telling us that we are not immune. This article was full of facts and figures backing the premise that our food supply was threatened. I had never heard of sea lice threatening Pacific Salmon until I read this - once again, this has not been featured by mainstream media.

Our fellow Associated Content writers are to be commended for a job well done in 2007. I want to encourage everyone to stop and take a look at these outstanding contributions to the true free press.