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The Sacramento Press is, first and foremost, a community-contributor website. Some call it "citizen journalism." Whatever you call us, we are here to give an online voice to members of the community, to cover stories that may be otherwise ignored by the mainstream press, and to provide a forum for discussion of local issues.

We are also working to promote the values of traditional journalism — thorough reporting, balanced perspectives, clear writing — through workshops and internships, while making the new tools of the web available to all. We offer copy-editing available to anyone who wants to post on the site and will continue to find ways to empower ordinary (and not-so-ordinary) citizens to share important information that will ultimately make Sacramento a better place to live.

So, why did we just hire our first professional staff reporter?

I think the answer will become clear as you read the stories being posted by Kathleen Haley, who started work this week as a reporter covering city government and services. Kathleen brings well-honed reporting skills and writing chops that she has worked on for the last decade as a freelance reporter for the Associated Press, Salon.com, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Santa Cruz Sentinel and a staff reporter for the San Luis Obispo Tribune. She has covered all sorts of topics, but her first love is city government.

"My father was on the city council," she told me during her job interview. "I guess it's in my blood."

Not everyone finds the details of city government fascinating, but Kathleen seems to be the exception. She relishes digging through public documents and city council agendas, and she'll get lots of practice in her new job.

We hired Kathleen because part of our function at Sacramento Press is to spread journalistic literacy, so that citizen journalists learn to balance opinion with reporting, in order that all sides on an issue, including those that don't shout as loud as the other side, are heard. She is here to promote journalism's traditional values while at the same time being open to the possibilities of the new media.

Kathleen is fascinated by the notion of citizen journalism, which she will now have the opportunity to help shape in Sacramento.

"I really like how I'm going to be actively engaging the community," she says. "I'm really looking forward to playing a role in making the community aware of the information it needs to function well."

Kathleen gives several advantages to the Sacramento Press. Her stories will make every effort to capture all sides of a story, providing a standard for citizen journalists to aspire to, and she will also make sure that we cover the important stories, regardless of whether anyone in the community gets to writing about them or not.

She also brings with her a belief, she says, "that journalism is a public service. When residents participate in local groups, they can help make decisions that improve their communities. Informed communities are stronger communities; I will work hard to provide news that will help Sacramento residents strengthen their communities."

The bottom line, she says, is that "this publication is different because it talks with the public, not at the public. I’m not going to tell you what to think, but I am going to promote community involvement. Get out there and make your community strong."

Welcome aboard, Kathleen!