Rolling Stone Experimented with Participatory Journalism in the Early 1970s

When I was in Montreal over Memorial Day Weekend, I found a book called Rolling Stone Reader  in a used bookstore on Rue St. Dennis. The book has a 1974 copyright.

One story that caught my eye immediately was called An Experiment in Participatory Journalism by Cindy Ehrlich and David Felton. The authors invited just plain folks to send in their autobiographies and they published as many of them as they could, which it turned out was only 17 of more than 1000 that were submitted. In the author's words:

"We though they might have some good stories to tell from their personal lives, stories normally bypassed by the practices of conventional, event-oriented journalism."

I thought it was fascinating that Rolling Stone had innovated with participatory journalism so early, and I would venture to guess it is probably one of the earliest uses of the term.

I wrote a story on the modern form of participatory journalism, which was just published in the June issue of EContent Magazine. It should be available online soon, and I will post the url here as soon as it is up on the EContent Web site.

Comments

[Charles W. "Butchie" Olmstead]

Attn: Ron Miller- or whom it may concern: Mine was among the 10 autobiographical submissions to the 1970 Rolling Stone "Experiment in Participitory Journalism" which were selected from the entries. In 1977 Rolling Stone Magazine presented a 10th Anniversary TV Special via CBS in November of that year- in which my 1970 autobio about my service, and moreso my return from Vietnam was portrayed in monolog by Martin Sheen, with intro by Sissy Spacek. I was flown to L.A. for 3 days where I worked with Sheen in re-writing my Vietnam war autobio for monolog-TV format. To my own chagrin I am unable to recall the title of my story and have never been able to locate a copy or back-issue ( 1970 ) of the Rolling Stone Magazine that contained my Vietnam story. If anyone might know how I might locate that copy or back-issue it would surely be appreciated! If any help- a photo of myself ( in wheelchair ) and playing flute with a band I was in at the time was actually the cover of that "participitory journalism" issue. One remarkable ( if not now humorously predictable )memory attached was that one of the other 9 autobio's chosen along with my own had to do with a then timely and emblematic "hippie" commune wherein its collective members enjoyed warm bowls of the stewed placenta which accompanied the birth of a most recent communal love-child. Ahhh ( shudder ) those summers of love!

[Paul in (NYC)]

Rolling Stone is going to be bringing back those "summer days" with a Las Vegas Hotel & Casino!

Word is in Vegas - It looks like its going to open in 2010...I think just across from City Center?

[Modesta]

Hi Charles,
I ran across your posting today at work. I'm working in new media and was recently at a yard sale in Ohio where I bought a copy of the Rolling Stone issue with participatory journalism featuring your story. I'd be happy to scan it and send it your way if you'd like.
Mo