Reply #87: A quick-and-dirty, low-cost pilot solution

[scottxyz]

I'm a cheapo, and I like doing things incrementally.*

The system for doing editing, production, reproduction and distribution doesn't have to be pristine and perfect right off the bat. If we can get something "up and running" with minimal upfront cost and minimal software tweaking and minimal pounding of the pavement, it would be worth a try - as a "pilot" or prototype to see where this could go.

For example: Let's say we want to create a new newspaper WITHOUT doing any fund-raising and WITHOUT even setting up any new websites.

What have we got to work with so far? We have the DU website, we have lots of networked computers, we have laser printers (some of us, hopefully), we have Kinko's and other xerox machines at school or work or at home even.

So how would we go about getting say a pilot national edition of a newspaper out with minimal programming, minimal software and harware purchases, and minimal effort?

(1) We need "content". People have already mentioned lots of names of great commentators and writers who are already working on the web. In fact, we probably already have an "embarrassment of riches" when it comes to content - the only task is (a) picking the best stuff out there and (b) getting approval to use it.

Why not just set up a DU thread where we take nominations for "best of the best" articles we want to see published on paper - and then do a separate thread with a poll where we vote on the finalists (and root for them in our comments)?

(2) Once we have content, we need to do page layout. This isn't too hard - lots of DUers probably have Quark and a few volunteers could do the page layout of the essays, "flowing" the text into columns. There's probably some excellent graphic designers and editors and proofreaders on DU who could collaborate on this electronically, sending each other a zip file of the work in progress. (Maybe we'd have to set up a separate, central website where the current version would be located, so people don't get confused sending versions to each other. Again, not a biggie getting a website with a downloadable/uploadable file on it, from what I've seen.)

(3) Let's not forget a NAME. We would need a name for our new newspaper. Again, a thread could be developed to nominate names, and another poll-thread to vote on them.

(4) Finally, we need some people with laser printers (or access to one) - preferable that allow tabloid-size output (11" x 17") so the paper be of a decent size. These volunteers around the country output the final verson of pilot Issue #1 of the "new newspaper."

(5) Xerox - there's lot of machines around, either at Kinko's, school, work or home. (Again, tabloid-size would be nice!)

(6) Distribute - in laundromats, bus-stops, subway stations, restaurants, bars, campuses, etc.

Yes, it's a bit of work - and yes, there is a bit of equipment (computers, xerox machines, cars to drive around and drop off copies) and "consumables" (paper, toner) involved. But this is the USA, and these are computer users - a lot of people on DU HAVE these things.

Remember the underground "samizdat" press in Russia was implemented by TYPING ON A TYPEWRITER USING CARBON PAPER because xeroxes were illegal. They knew what they were up against (Pravda and Izvestia) and they were passionate about providing an alternative - and it was very exciting I imagine, circulating these clandestine broadsheets.

In the USA, under what's left of our Constitution, we have the advantage that distributing a newspaper is still LEGAL. In the USA, with what's left of our economy, we have the advantage that lots of people have computers and laser printers and paper and toner and cars.

(Maybe this whole thing doesn't even need to be centralized - maybe like the internet it could be a thousand different web logs blooming all over the country, now getting printed up on paper. But I think that with a little bit of coordination - picking a few stories we want to run nationally, picking a name for this paper, doing a single, attractive layout, and pooling our talent to make sure the whole thing reads right and looks right - we would have a lot more impact than a thousand rambling weblogs on paper. ONE NEW NEWSPAPER with REAL news in it would have a major impact on our news-starved populace.)

Probably the HARDEST stumbling block we have is recognizing the need for this problem. It was obvious in the USSR - they didn't HAVE freedom of speech. We think we do - but the reality is that the Judith Millers and the Robert Novaks are just propaganda mouthpieces.

People are tired of listening to that crap. They will support us very strongly if we put together a unified message and take it to the real world.

= = =

(*Not a bad way of doing things - see for example Christopher Alexander's "Pattern Language" books on architecture, where he puts up a whole house in Mexico for $5,000 per family using no blueprints - just rough designs, stakes on the ground, and gradual build-up.)