About the San Francisco Community Journalism Project
The San Francisco Community Journalism Project is a civic project operating under the Journalism Department of San Francisco State University. It is designed to engage San Francisco communities around issues that affect living and social conditions in various neighborhoods. Working in tandem with the Journalism Department’s Civic Journalism course, it also aims to train student journalists to develop grass roots sources and better cover communities that are historically disenfranchised or marginalized.
In fall semester 2002, the San Francisco Community Journalism Project will focus on issues of environmental justice in the Bayview Hunters Point, two neighborhoods in the city’s southeast sector.
Civic Engagement Through Meetings
Residents, activists, merchants and community workers are invited to attend a series of focus groups and community meetings to discuss problems and participants to develop solutions.
Civic Engagement Through Personal Memoir
Residents are also invited to take part in memoir writing workshops to tell their personal stories related to environmental injustice. I will offer two workshops during the semester. There will be no fee. Their stories will focus on neighborhood development and the impacts of industrial development on the area. Stories will be posted on the project’s Web site.
Civic Engagement Through Oral History
Residents can share their personal neighborhood histories on tape recordings. Stories will be related to neighborhood development and impacts of industrial development on the area. These stories will be edited for broadcast on the project Web site and possibly local radio.
Civic Engagement Through University Education—Program still in Development
Five residents will be invited to participate in the Civic Journalism (J667) course at San Francisco State. They will be required to complete all assignments in the class and will get college credit for their work.