WebProNews

Dan on his new project and walking the talk: As many of you know I'm going to work hard on a project to inspire, enable and create what many have been calling a new kind of journalism.

"... In the new world that I and many others believe is coming, the grassroots will have a fundamental and crucial role in the process -- a change that I tried to outline in my book, We the Media, which appeared in the second half of 2004.

... This project is still very much in an embryonic state, however. I have to emphasize that point, because some of the online chatter and speculation has raised absurdly high expectations, certainly in the short term. I have many ideas, including some quite specific ones, but the larger framework has yet to be developed, much less built.

In the longer term, who can say? But I do know one thing: If anything worthwhile comes of this, and I strongly believe it will, the achievements will be ours, not mine. They will be the result of many people's ideas, good will and effort. If I can help clear a path for people who want to join the vast, global conversation, I'll be happy."

Steve Rubel is a PR strategist with nearly 16 years of public relations, marketing, journalism and communications experience. He currently serves as a Senior Vice President with Edelman, the largest independent global PR firm.He authors the Micro Persuasion weblog, which tracks how blogs and participatory journalism are changing the public relations practice.