Andre Natta will be one of the panelists featured in our
discussion on blogging and community journalism
set for Thursday, Jan. 10. 

Long before I returned to my hometown of Birmimgham, Ala., in 2009 I was hearing talk about The Terminal. André Natta started this critically acclaimed web publication about Birmingham in 2007 and the site has since garnered him plenty of attention and respect in the Magic City and beyond. 


Natta will be one of the panelists featured in next week’s event Blogging and the Future of Community Journalism. The Terminal is just one of the reasons I’m excited to have Natta as part of this discussion. 

In addition to his work with The Terminal, Natta has two blogs — a personal one (Dre’s Ramblings) and another looking at modern communication methods and urbanism (Urban Conversations). He also contributes a monthly column on technology and how it’s affecting the future of Birmingham (The Digital City) for B-Metro Magazine. 


This week over on his blog Urban Conversations, Natta started a series he calls The Four Agreements of Blogging. Inspired by The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, this series will examine principles we should all keep in mind when it comes to writing and digital strategy. You can begin reading the series here. 

And you can learn even more from Natta about blogging and community journalism on Thursday, Jan. 10 at our next event. Click here to register. 

There are two questions I asked all our panelists after they agreed to be part of this discussion. Check out Natta’s responses below: 

What must bloggers who want to be considered journalists do to be taken seriously?

I’d say they’d want to approach writing their posts with passion. They got to be willing to tell the truth and have the ability to connect dots most folks wouldn’t at first glance. Always be willing to question and to learn as much as possible.


What main piece of advice would you give to folks who want to use their blogs to tell important stories in their communities?


Be willing to do the research necessary to make sure no stone is left unturned. This includes reaching out to all sides of the story; there are normally more than two. Even if folks don’t reciprocate, you know you’ve done all you can to present as complete a piece as possible. Being thorough and transparent matters much more than being balanced and objective.


If you have more questions for Natta leave them in the comments section and we will add them to our list of questions for next week’s event.