Keeping the blog spotlight on New Orleans.
Hello NOLA LJers.
For several years, I have been using LiveJournal to tell the story of ordinary LiveJournalers who are being effected by extraordinary circumstances. Last year around this time, I was warning people about what I thought could be a particularly dangerous and destructive hurricane. As I followed the progress of the hurricane, I started searching LiveJournal to find the latest posts from people in the path of the hurricane, and found numerous LiveJournalers who had decided to ride out the storm. So, I started sharing their stories. Soon afterwards, I found that both major weblogs and major news organizations were linking to my journal, and contacting me for interviews and information.
Well, because of that, I was sent an email today from a NOLA LJer, who wanted to know if I could revisit the issue of New Orleans and bring more attention to what is happening, and to the grassroots efforts its users are working on to help rebuild the city.
Frankly, I hated the idea of doing what I was seeing so many news sources and politicians do -- revisit New Orleans, only to disappear again later, as other breaking news stories eclipsed New Orleans. So, here's what I suggested:
I want to ask those of you in New Orleans, please, give me your stories to share with others. Your firsthand perspective. Your frustrations. Your thoughts on what is important and helpful to you, and what is not. Your news of grassroots efforts to rebuild New Orleans, its citizen's lives, and its communities.
In a very real sense, I am encouraging New Orleanians to be co-contributors to my LiveJournal, and to use whatever visibility I might have in order to draw more attention to your issues. I reserve my right as editor, but I will do my best to make sure your stories get heard.
Most importantly, I'm not asking for any of you to contribute news and stories on some sort of anniversary that will be forgotten until next year, but rather, I welcome contributions from the people of New Orleans for as long as you think it might help make a difference in rebuilding your city and communities.
To contribute articles, news, information, and personal stories that you have written from New Orleans to my journal, just send me an email or leave me a comment on my journal, indicating your desire that I share what you're submitting with others. I, in turn, will do the best that I can to draw attention to it, not just today, not just tomorrow, but until New Orleans is whole again. I am also encouraging other LJers and bloggers to do the same, or to simply copy anything I post in my journal from people in New Orleans to their journal. They (and you) have my permission to do so, with absolutely no attribution required.
If you have any questions, please see this post or leave me an email or comment for more details.
thanks,
Mark