The Northeast Central Durham Community VOICE will be opening a newsroom inside Building 4, where it will be equipped with cameras, video equipment and laptops.
Area youth interested in writing, photography, video, blogging, art and journalism are invited to a general interest meeting at the newsroom 10-11 a.m. this Saturday.
Youth who contribute content to the VOICE will receive a $25 Walmart gift card for every submission accepted.
VOICE, which went online in September at www.durhamvoice.org, covers neighborhood news, information, photos, videos and features in the Northeast Central area of Durham. The first print edition will be available this month.
Jock Lauterer, director of the Carolina Community Media Project at the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication, is leading the effort. The project began more than a year ago as an idea from UNC Department of City and Regional Planning, where students there were looking for ways to revitalize the 300-block area of Northeast Central Durham.
The area is known as "the Bull's Eye" to Durham police and community development officials for its high incidence of crime.
"We want to empower youth to create a single source of local news for the Northeast Central Durham community," Lauterer said. "And we hope the young people putting out the paper will develop the skills to use their voices effectively in civic discussions while expanding their education and career options."
For information, e-mail Lauterer at jock@email.unc.edu, dePyssler at bdepyssler@nccu.edu or Paulin at lpaulin@nccu.edu.
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Help for veterans: Sears has launched a nationwide blanket drive to collect new and gently used blankets for homeless veterans in North Carolina.
Sears customers are invited to show their support for homeless veterans and donate gently used blankets through Feb. 18. In exchange for their donation, Sears will provide each customer with a coupon for 20 percent off any one home fashion or home décor item, or a coupon for 10 percent off any one housewares, luggage or furniture item (mattresses are excluded).
Customers will receive a coupon for each blanket they donate. Every Sears store in North Carolina is participating in the blanket drive.
For information, go to www.sears.com.
What’s the Buzz? Call Business Writer Monica Chen at (919) 419-6636,
send a fax to (919) 419-6889 or e-mail mchen@heraldsun.com.
