"Citizen journalism" and the publishing power of the internet were points of conversation with guest speaker Eugene Driscoll, the Editor and writer of the Valley Independent Sentinel. Mr. Driscoll gave discourse on a variety of topics, ranging from his views on the current state of print journalism, to the beginnings of his non-profit community oriented news website. Driscoll discussed how the gap between the journalist and the reader has all but disappeared through internet technology. "Letters to the Editor" are a thing of the past, as now the internet allows anyone with access to a computer to publish text for all the world to see.

His site, Valley.newhavenindependent.org, relies on foundation support. In addition to the contributions of Driscoll and a full-time co-worker, the site contracts fifteen to twenty freelance stories per week. The site has a strict news coverage area of the Valley.

"[Internet] Journalism is a two-way communication", said Driscoll. He cited websites such as Facebook and Twitter as "basically, a talking Rolodex". Along with his speech, his website certainly keeps current on internet information technologies. Many stories have links to external sources, video, and other multimedia. Driscoll and his team have shot live video using smartphones on-site during especially dramatic ongoing stories, such as a housefire.

Driscoll was eager to share experiences of high-risk stories. He lives in the community in which he reports, giving him a special connection to the stories he writes. In an aforementioned housefire, Driscoll made a 2 mile drive from his own residence directly to the scene, witnessing an affected family member receiving news of her grandmother's death in the fire. It made for a raw, emotionally graphic scene, one that made for a more compelling news story than "a santized" statement from a first responder given hours later. It made clear to us that Driscoll is a man very passionate about his work. He makes a grand example for young men and women interested in the field, and is a very refreshing sight in a world dominated by big business journalism.