Link of the Week: Dec. 17 - 23
Happy Bill of Rights Day
In case you missed it, December 15 was Bill of Rights Day, as declared by proclamation in NC communities including Asheville, Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Morehead City, Raleigh, Reidsville and Thomasville. Apparently, this is a holiday whose time has come. When local candidates for public office were asked to name these 10 amendments, a cornerstone of our democracy, some couldn't name ANY. Most others did not fare much better. So, this week's link is the Bill of Rights. If you are humbled by your own inability to name the amendments, you may also want to view this list of historical documents at the library of Congress site. It includes the Constitution, Declaration of Independence and other classics.

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Glad you asked! That box on the lower left border side of the page is a new way to keep up with FIRE. Type in your e-mail, hit subscribe, and we'll do the rest! You'll get occasional updates from us about new workshops, links and assorted FIRE services. We won't barrage you with e-mails or distribute your e-mail address. Please sign up today.

Rolling Thunder Democracy Tour
FIRE is teaming up with other WNC nonprofit organizations, media, businesses and individuals to bring the Rolling Thunder Democracy Tour (RTD2) to the region. For more information on how to get involved locally, contact us. We'll post a link to the local page once it is online.

Apply for IRE Reporting Awards: The contest "recognizes the best investigative reporting in print, broadcast and online media, and helps identify techniques and resources used by entrants." This is the annual contest of the Investigative Reporting and Editing, Inc. (IRE). For entry forms and additional information, visit the contest page at IRE's site.

2003 CAR Conference in NC: IRE has also announced that the Annual Computer-Assisted Reporting Conference will be held on March 14-16, 2003 in Charlotte, N.C. The event features panels by the best in the business on every beat and topic including Census, crime, education, local and state government, freedom of information and transportation. Hands-on classes will be offered featuring spreadsheets, database managers, mapping, statistics and the latest in cutting-edge technology. IRE sponsors the event along with the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting (NICAR). This year's event is hosted by The Charlotte Observer and NBC News. See IRE's site for more details and registration information.

Help Put a Local Paper on the Web!: If you have some spare time to give to a good cause, we could use your help! Please visit our new volunteer opportunities page.

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"Nonprofits Online"
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Welcome to FIRE, a non-profit organization which provides community media resources to the Appalachian region. You can use the search box on this page to search our online archive of media outlets throughout the area. If you are a local journalist (or want to be), visit the "Resources for Journalists" section. You'll find resources that will improve your community reporting skills and will enable area residents to easily locate your published articles online.

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