Citizen Involvement

As a Citizen….

Washoe County values our citizen involvement and input process.

Participating can be as simple as voting at an election, but you can take a more active role in shaping Washoe County government, policies, programs and decisions by participating in the day-to-day process of local government.

• Volunteer for one of the many County advisory boards that make recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners and County departments.
• Have an influence regarding decision making when it comes to adopting laws, the budget, or regional planning in your Washoe County community.
• Become a member of one of the 16 Citizen Advisory Board members in your neighborhood.
• Volunteer in one of the many departments that pique your interest such as Parks, Senior Services, Libraries and more…

Citizen involvement is a partnership between local government and our community. When citizens are actively involved in their government, decisions can better reflect the needs of the community. We want and welcome your involvement.

Citizen Journalism: 7 Myths And Facts

Citizen journalism refers to people who often do not have any real training in journalism reporting news or commenting on current events. With the advent of the internet, average people gained a powerful voice that was once only available to professional journalists. People misunderstand much about the concept and practice of citizen journalism. The following 7 myths and facts about citizen journalism will help to reveal the truth of this form of journalism.

Citizen Journalism Is Almost Always Unreliable

Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t. Even professional journalists are not always right so the reliability of citizen journalism must be evaluated on a case by case basis. While you may believe that citizen journalism is more likely to be unreliable, the scope of this form of journalism makes it difficult to track.

Only Trained Journalists Create Citizen Journalism

This is not true and is only believed by those who do not understand what citizen journalism is. Actually, citizen journalism is largely created by individuals who are not trained in journalistic pursuits. Journalism does not always require formal education.

Only Non-Trained Journalists Create Citizen Journalism

This is not true either. While non-professionals may be thought to produce the bulk of citizen journalism, professionally trained journalists can still write blogs apart from formal publications. These writings can fall into the category of citizen journalism too.

Citizen Journalism Is Always Text

In truth, citizen journalism is a term that includes photos and videos as well as the written word. Journalism can take on many forms and citizen journalism is no different.

Citizen Journalism Detracts From Professional Journalism

You might think that with anyone being able to post thoughts, opinions, and their own version of the facts that this would obscure the truth. In some cases, this is true. However, this medium also allows average individuals to question the veracity of professional publications. With an untold number of individuals double-checking the facts of every published article, professional journalists must work even harder to be unbiased and get their facts straight. Citizen journalism can improve professional journalism in this way.

Blogs Do Not Count As Citizen Journalism

This is a huge myth. Blogs comprise a large portion of what is considered citizen journalism. Blogs, along with message boards and other online forums, are among the primary ways that average individuals who may or may not have any training in journalism can share their perspectives and ideas.

Citizen Journalism Possesses More Bias Than Professional Journalism

This is another one of those myths that is difficult to track. Many would assert that mainstream media is incredibly biased in one direction or another. Attempting to compare the level of bias of more mainstream forms of journalistic expression as compared to the expansive field of citizen journalism is a gargantuan task.
Professional journalism can be biased and citizen journalism can be objective or vice versa. Works must be evaluated on their own merits and not according to which category they fall into. These myths and facts about citizen journalism cover a wide expanse of journalistic expressions that are, at the very least, difficult to categorize.

Naturalized Citizen

A naturalized citizen is a foreign national who is granted citizenship in the United States after fulfilling certain requirements. In addition to the United States, many other nations offer naturalization to people who wish to apply for citizenship. The naturalization laws for various countries are typically available through their departments of immigration.
There are two basic categories of United States citizens. A natural citizen is someone born in the United States or born to American parents on foreign soil. A naturalized citizen is someone who was born in a foreign country, but took a series of steps with the end goal of being granted citizenship.
In the United States, you can become a naturalized citizen if you have been a legal resident of the United States for at least five years and you are over the age of 18. In addition, applicants for naturalization must demonstrate “good moral character,” as well as knowledge of the English language and the history of the United States. The citizenship application process can take anywhere from six months to two years, and once approved, a naturalized citizen has all of the rights and responsibilities of a United States citizen, although he or she is barred from serving in the offices of President and Vice President.
Someone who has been a legal resident of the United States for at least five years and wishes to become a naturalized citizen must first file an application for naturalization with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). After the application is filed, the applicant will be asked to attend an interview and take a citizenship test. The citizenship test includes questions which test the applicant’s knowledge of English, American government, and American history.
If the application is approved, the applicant is asked to take an oath to the United States, during which he or she denounces allegiance to other parties and states. However, the United States does recognize dual citizenship as a basic human right, and therefore people are not asked to give up citizenship in their native country, although they may be encouraged to do so. Once the oath is taken, the new citizen is granted the right to vote, run for public office, and to participate in American society as a full citizen; he or she also enjoys the same rights and protections that other US citizens receive overseas.
An exception to this lengthy process is foreign adoptions. Since foreign adoptions have become very popular in the United States, the INS recognizes such children as full citizens as soon as they are granted permanent residency in the United States. Adoption agencies typically assist parents with this process to make it quick and painless.