Open Source Journalism Comes a Step Closer in Greensboro: A Plan is Shown
http://journalism.nyu.edu/pubzone/weblogs/pressthink/Lex Alexander is a friend of mine and the editor of "Black Box Voting" (despite Bev's claims to the contrary, she did have an editor and he did do a hell of a lot of work).
He is my source for questions about the mysteries of "journalism" and an avid blog reader and blogger.
Highlights of his recommendation to his editor:
* Assign local bloggers to cover in depth things the News & Record does not, like individual high school schools' sports teams.
* Recruit one N & R blogger per neighborhood from that neighborhood.
* Enable comments on all local news content. "Require writers to read them and, where appropriate, respond."
* Re-launch Letters to the Editor as a blog, with each letter having its own permalink and comments.
* Do obituaries as a searchable blog, ordered by page, with comments ("guest book") capability for each.
* Digitize archives and make them available online, free.
* Link to everyone-- other local blog aggregators, other local media, even competitors.
* In news content, reverse policy from "don't link out" to "must link out" to resources anywhere on the Web that help users or make sense.
* Post a permanent bio page for each full-time reporter and editor, with photo, contact info, background, political & religious affiliation.
* Open up plannng and editorial meetings to local bloggers who may blog about them.
* Post, and invite comment upon, the News & Record mission, vision and coverage priorities for the year. Seek advance input into coming year's newsroom goals.
* Start "moblogs"-- weblogs to which people can submit text and/or images via e-mail or wireless ("mobile") phone. (Like so.)
* Alexander: "To the extent that a blogger/reader knows more about a subject than a reporter does, make the relationship more of a partnership and find a way to represent that partnership visually."
* Create a "long tail" ad network to begin compensating bloggers at the far end of the tail who participate with the News and Record online.
David Allen
www.thoughtcrimes.org