”We know that there are lots of things happening in western Aarhus, but where can we read about them?” This question has been asked many times. With the citizen portal www.gellerup.nu  there is an answer to the question.

Round 15,000 people live in Gellerup, Toveshøj, Søvangen, Skovgaardsparken and surrounding housing areas, and 15 of them have been trained as citizen journalists. Concurrently, they have attended to their studies and jobs. After finishing their training, they have all started working as citizen journalists on the new citizen portal. The ten citizen journalists are responsible for writing news items and portraits on the citizen portal.

Presumably, this is the first time that training of citizen journalists has taken place in Denmark. Citizen journalism exists in a number of other countries, but apparently, there has never before been a thorough training of them. The training of citizen journalists lasts approximately four months.  

The project started in september 2007 and is managed by journalist Birger Agergaard. He is certain that citizen journalists can create better means of communication in a district than the established media can.

Closer to realities
”The citizen journalists are closer to realities. Therefore, they can dig out unconventional stories. And most importantly, they help create a more universal image when they write about their own neighbourhood. Naturally, they will also write about the negative sides which are inevitable in exposed districts” Birger Agergaard says.

The portal has not only been set up to improve the image of western Aarhus. The citizen journalists will also help give an overview of the various activities in the district. Therefore, the citizen journalists will keep a database of organizations, houses and resource persons, so that all users can find precisely the activities that are relevant for them.  

The citizen journalists hope that many people will contribute to the portal by sending in pictures or maybe a tip for a story. It is also possible to have discussions on the portal and there is even a market place where people can sell and buy items and make inquiries. It is intended that the communication should be two-sided rather than only coming FROM the portal TO the citizens.

Four citizen portals in Aarhus
Western Aarhus has been followed by thre more portals: www.vibysyd.dk, www.8380.dk and www.aarhusvest.dk  The project has been co-ordinated by The Public Housing Unified Secretariat (www.bydele.dk) that co-ordinates many different beneficial projects in all the exposed districts of Aarhus.

Contributors and protector
The housing associations of Aarhus are the main contributors to the project with DKR 2,350,000, while The Danish Urban Programme (www.urbanbydel.dk) has contributed DKR 100,000 and The Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs (www.inm.dk) has supported the project with DKR 450,000.

The mayor of Aarhus, Mr. Nicolai Wammen, is a protector for the citizen portal project.

For more information, please contact project manager Birger Agergaard birger-fjern@bydele-fjern.dk