A global newspaper connecting people around the world on topics that are essential to community development.
Release | 08.04.24
Vantaa, Los Angeles, Sheffield, Galway, Kisumu, Nairobi, Cape Town, Helsinki - Citizen Network News is a new global newspaper for citizens by citizens. Citizen Network News, a groundbreaking newspaper committed to amplifying the voices of everyday citizens, proudly announces the release of its much-anticipated first edition. With a mission to foster citizen, community engagement and promote the significance of non-commercial spaces, the paper's debut edition with thirteen articles and art works delivers insightful commentary, thought-provoking articles, and compelling stories from around the world.
One of the founders and chief editors of Citizen Network News, Markus Vähälä from Finland says:
“In a world where commercial interests dominate public discourse and digital platforms creating division and polarization, this newspaper hopes to offer an alternative; a physical media created with ordinary people for ordinary people everywhere. We believe that a physical newspaper is a good medium to create appreciation for diverse perspectives and enable global conversation around the themes that are authentic and relevant to all citizens. The creation and distribution of a community centered newspaper creates new connections and opportunities for citizens to form stronger relationships. We need a newspaper like the one we have created more now than ever. After the covid lockdowns people are now surrounded by more mistrust, isolation, fear and violence. We need to counter this with more community connections.”
Citizen Network News offers an opportunity for the reader to learn about community issues from a worldwide network of citizen reporters that have created a print only newspaper around cornerstone themes that deal with community building. The first edition’s theme is ‘public spaces’. Through the lens of public spaces it highlights community centers, public spaces for children, civic centers and grassroots initiatives from around the world. It demonstrates that community spaces serve as vital hubs for connection, collaboration and cultural enrichment, and highlights how these spaces are becoming threatened.
Michael Bierman executive director of The Strindberg Laboratory and one of the chief editors of Citizen Network News says:
“In America a prominent Harvard sociologist Robert Putnam has remarked that over half of all civic spaces have simply disappeared. We hope that this newspaper will raise the alarm on why we should preserve and expand public spaces globally to keep our communities strong as well as our democracies alive.”
The first edition of Citizen Network News features a diverse range of articles written in multiple languages and includes artwork, posters and images relating to the public spaces theme. The titles of the articles and communities they highlight are:
A Clean well-Lighted Space - Los Angeles, California
Creating a healing space - Finland
Advocating For Community Recreation Free Spaces - Kenya
Making space in Sheffield for emerging futures - England
SAVE LAPINLAHTI with a poster - Finland
Do It Yourself Arts in Community (part 1) - Ireland
Lapinlahden Lähde syntyi tarpeesta vaalia poikkeuksellista kaupunkitilaa - Finland
Tilat toipumisen tukena - Finland
Public Spaces - Los Angeles, California
What city? - Finland
Ofafa hall - Celebrate Luo Cultural Performance - Kenya
Helsinki - Meidän kaikkien tiellä! - Finland
The Future is here but the past won’t let go - South Africa
With its compelling content and a commitment to grassroots citizen journalism, Citizen Network News invites readers to join the conversation and get involved in shaping the future of their own communities.
Order your copy of Citizen Network News here.
Read an article by the Editors at: https://citizen-network.org/library/the-creation-of-a-global-newspaper.html
About Citizen Network News:
The newspaper was founded by the international Citizen Network and The Strindberg Laboratory in Los Angeles USA. Citizen Network consists of more than 280 groups and organizations in 51 countries including 3000 citizen activists working to build inclusion, justice, democracy and creating resilient communities and protecting our nature everywhere. The Strindberg Laboratory is an active nonprofit theater company based in Los Angeles working with citizens, marginalized communities and community centers around California. The two groups have collaborated over the years producing international No Labels No Walls festivals. The festivals consisted of diverse NGOs, art providers and individuals from around the world collaborating on a range of events celebrating diversity, equality and community inclusivity.
Citizen Network News was created from the need to inform the general public about important topics that affect communities worldwide in an in depth and comprehensive manner. In addition, we decided to make the newspaper print only. This decision was based on numerous studies which indicate that the retention rate of people reading in print is much higher than reading in digital. Also, a printed newspaper allows our readers to share articles in person instead of from their computer screens with their friends, families and colleagues. Lastly, newspapers across the globe are going out of business so the quantity of news that brings communities together are lacking and we wanted to fill this need.
Media Contact:
Markus Vähälä & Michael Bierman
Chief Editors
Citizen Network News
nolabelsnowalls@gmail.com
+358503461011
