Citizen journalism evangelist Dan Gillmor writes in with word of the student projects from the News21 Initiative jointly held at at Berkeley, Northwestern, Columbia and USC. He says, "This year it's called 'Faces of Faith in America,' and includes all kinds of neat Web stuff in addition to traditional media production."
There are some pretty amazing interactive, Web-native multimedia presentations among the student work, including:
* Minorities Representing Majorities: a Google Maps mashup showing the 40 electoral districts where politicians who practice "minority faiths" (like Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism) serve as governmental representatives. The presentation includes video profiles of seven of these leaders.
* Magical Mystery Tour: A guided tour to the centers of "spiritual seekers" in California — drag the lens over different sites, from Mount Shasta to Salvation Mountain and see videos of the seekers who come to them.
Data Road Trip: A national map of the statistical hotspots for crises and upwellings of faith and religion, including the Bronx, with the highest abortion rate in the nation; Arkansas, where the divorce rate is highest; and LA County, with the largest number of Hindu temples. Click on each for a smart mini-video documentary.
These student presentations are better than anything I've seen from "real" news agencies and could serve as a model for the future of interactive/online journalism.
