Eesha Williams has been a visiting lecturer in Journalism at Williams College, has been a radio and newspaper reporter in New York, Illinois, California and Vermont, and a reporter for WAMC, Northeast Public Radio. He freelances, and runs with his wife the
New Leaf community-supported agriculture farm, outside Brattleboro, Vt. He''s the author of a basic text on community reporting entitled: "Grassroots Journalism
A Practical Manual." (second edition, Jan. 2007)
One reviewer writes:
- "Grassroots Journalism is a handbook for a new kind of community journalism that shows people how actively engaging in public issues can make a difference in the quality of their own lives, and the world. Chapters cover such subjects as: real-world examples where grassroots journalism worked and resulted in positive change; the nuts and bolts of writing grassroots news articles; how to make sure your articles are read."
Consumer activist and former presidential candidate
Ralph Nader adds:
- "If information is the currency of democracy, then it''s a good practice for journalism to be of, by, and for the people in the search and reporting of abuses from concentrated power. Eesha Williams brings this kind of Grassroots Journalism to your desk, to your mind, and to your heart with the highest of standards. A very motivating manual indeed."
Sarah Smith, writing on the
Journalism Issues blog at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, says of Williams after a talk by the reporter to a class:
- "Williams''s interests lie in getting readers motivated about particular issues and the example he gave of the open space in Vermont was extraordinary. Through an investigative piece he wrote for his school newspaper he was able to unite the community and rise above even the local newspapers and draw attention to an impending injustice and actually prevent it. I was impressed and amazed at his initiative and devotion to his field."
OTHER REVIEWS OF the text: "Grassroots Journalism":
http://www.metroactive.com/papers/cruz/02.21.01/lq5-0108.html
http://www.pww.org/article/view/3467/1/163/
http://store.gxonlinestore.org/grassroots.html
Williams tangled with MediaNews Group Inc. of Denver, in May 2003 and left the chain''s Brattleboro, Vt., daily.
HISTORY WITH BRATTLEBORO REFORMER/SINGLETON:
http://www.pww.org/article/view/3626/1/168/
Comment on editor''s departure from Brattleboro Reformer (2003)
EXAMPLES OF WRITING:
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ABOUT AN ORCHARD
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