PeoPo Unites NGOs and NPOs with Campus News Centres

Taiwan has numerous NGO and NPO organizations concerned about community and public issues, but in today’s commercialized mainstream media, one rarely sees any NGO NPO related news stories. Citizen journalism was established with the hope of compensating for the shortcomings of the commercial media world, and right from the outset, PeoPo actively encouraged NPO and NGO organizations to become citizen journalists on the platform. Currently, PeoPo has more than 200 NGOs registered on the platform, but joint problems of insufficient manpower and lack of audiovisual technology have impeded their ability to publish CJ reports. This year CJs from PeoPo’s Campus News Centers united with CJs from NPO and NGO organizations, using Campus News Centers to facilitate the dissemination of important news from these organizations.

In order to facilitate better coordination between NPO NGO organizations and student CJs from Campus News Centers, PeoPo staff joined Shih Hsin University teachers and students on a special visit to Taipei’s Life Conservationist Association, a non-profit animal rights organization promoting the sterilization of stray dogs as well as fighting cruelty to animals. With its activities entirely reliant on volunteer staff, the concept of citizen journalism very much appealed to the organization. However, in light of the organization’s lack of audio and video production experience, it hopes to cooperate with CJs from Campus News Centers in order to publicize news on animal rights issues and correct concepts on animal protection.

Lin Yi-Shan, the Director of Life Conservationist Association, said that the students bring a diverse range of creativity and are all studying audiovisual news-related fields. In return for their willingness to come and provide voluntary assistance, the association provides an endless supply of newsworthy material. With students learning from the association, as well as getting valuable feedback on their stories, it seems to be a perfect mode of mutual cooperation. The association expressed its hope that many more universities will become attracted to this mode of cooperation, because manpower and material resources are all extremely limited for NPO NGO organizations.

“Finding newsworthy material as well as the skill of penetrating deeply into the subject matter, all possess real obstacles to students ... but NPO NGO organizations can provide students with information and stories that the mainstream media have either buried or neglected, and once the information has been collected students can discuss how to transform it into a comprehensive news report,” said Shih Hsin University teaching assistant Zeng Li-juan. Another classmate said that in the past, arranging interview appointments was difficult, but after cooperating with NPO NGOs there was a marked increase in the success rate.

PeoPo is currently helping to connect Shih Hsin University with the environmental and ecological organization Society of Wilderness, and Hongdao Senior Citizen’s Welfare Foundation, which provides care and services to senior citizens. In addition, National Chung Cheng University in Chiayi is cooperating with the child-welfare organization Yunlin Fund for Children and Families, and Chang Jung Christian University in Tainan is cooperating with Syin-Lu Social Welfare Foundation and Eden Social Welfare Foundation, using citizen journalism to voice out on important public issues.

PeoPo 公民新聞 by PeoPo Webcast

PeoPo Unites NGOs and NPOs with Campus News Centres
http://www.peopo.org/news/106861

(以下為中文對照)

PeoPo媒合NGO NPO與公民新聞校園採訪中心

台灣有許多的NGO與NPO組織，他們關心社會與公共議題，但是在一般大眾媒體上，卻很難看到他們的相關報導。公民新聞成立的目的，就是希望可以彌補商業媒體的不足，PeoPo一直以來非常積極鼓勵NPO與NGO組織成為我們的公民記者，目前平台上已經有超過200個NGO加入，然而人力不足與影音技術問題卻成為他們發表公民報導的一大難題。今年PeoPo將校園採訪中心的公民記者與NPO、NGO組織媒合，讓他們所關心的議題透過校園採訪中心的公民記者報導，被更多人看到。

而為了搭起 NPO NGO組織與校園採訪中心學生公民記者的美好連結，PeoPo工作人員特別與世新大學的師生一起拜訪位在台北的「關懷生命協會」，「關懷生命協會」是一個以保護動物權益作為宗旨的非營利組織，主要推動流浪狗絕育、以及反對不當的虐待動物，協會大部分的活動仰賴志工人員，對於公民新聞非常有興趣，但是缺乏影音製作的經驗，希望透過更多校園採訪中心的學生公民記者，能讓更多關懷流浪動物權益的新聞，以及正確的動護保護觀念，可以被更多民眾了解。

關懷生命協會秘書處主任林憶珊表示，因為學生有非常多元的創造力，而這多位學生也是跟影音新聞有關的科系，所以她們願意來服務與協助，而協會可以提供報島素材，是很好的合作模式。學生可以學習，協會也可以得到一些回饋，希望這個模式可以有更多學校來合作，因為協會的人力、物力、資源都有限。

而世新大學助教曾麗娟也表示，「尋找議題與素材」可能是同學能力比較弱的地方，但是要怎麼切入對學生來說具有難度，但透過NPO NGO組織，這些團體可以提供播被商業媒體埋沒的資訊，大家再來討論怎麼切入、怎麼報導。另外同學則表示，平時約訪比較困難，不過跟NPO NGO合作後，約訪成功率比較高。

目前PeoPo媒合世新大學與關心環境生態的荒野保護協會，關心老人權益的弘道老人基金會合作；另外還有嘉義中正大學與關心兒童福利的雲林家扶基金會合作；以及台南長榮大學與心路基金會、伊甸基金會合作，讓更多公共議題可以透過公民新聞被更多人看到。