I, Reporter

links for 2006-04-26

• Terry Heaton's Pomo blog
  "Let's not forget that the idea of elevating professional journalism to its current pedestal was the social engineering dream of Walter Lippmann, who viewed the masses as ignorant and in need of an educated elite to lead them."
  (tags: context citizen+journalism history our+coverage influence+ecology)
• Creative Ink: Tuesday tidbit: Blogger vs. MSM part 57
  "it is precisely the passion and the labor of love that leads bloggers to doggedly pursue and research information."
  (tags: citizen+journalism ethics blogs journalism our+coverage)

How Citizen Journalism Could Save News Pros' Jobs

On Thursday I'm giving a brief talk to the Ted Scripps Fellows at the University of Colorado's Center for Environmental Journalism. My topic may sound counterintuitive to many in the news business, but I think these bright folks will hear me out.

I think citizen and community journalism (projects which involve people from outside the news business in the journalistic process) are crucial to the the long-term viability of news professionals and organizations.

Bottom Line: If you want to keep your journalism career or news organization alive in coming years, it's time to start learning the ropes of a more open approach to news.

Here's what I mean...

links for 2006-04-14

• Archives Kept a Secrecy Secret
  "Thomas S. Blanton, executive director of the National Security Archive, said the memo "shows that the National Archives basically aided and abetted a covert operation that whited out the nation's history by reclassifying previously released documents."
  (tags: government info+access FOIA good+example research tidbits+fodder)

links for 2006-04-10

• Bill Doskoch: Media, BPS*, Film, Minutiae :: 'Why we are all reporters now'
  "Dan Gillmor doesn't like differentiating between citizen contributor, citizen witness. citizen journalist and professional journalist. I do."
  (tags: citizen+journalism analysis influence+ecology journalism media+evolution tidbits+fodder thought+leaders)

Beyond Shovelware

Today and tomorrow, Adam Glenn and I are at the annual conference of the New York Publishers Association -- an organization for community newspapers in the state of NY. All day tomorrow we're hosting a "web site clinic," where newspaper publishers and staff can sit down with us for a free half-hour consultation about their web site.

Here's one of the handouts we're offering:

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BEYOND SHOVELWARE

A strong online presence can enhance your bottom line, as well as the quality of your news, features, and commentary. Why not actively leverage the web to build productive, positive mutual relationships with your readers?

The key to success is to view your site as a vital complement to your print publication -- not a mere sideline or echo. Then, consider how to make your site findable, usable, and interactive.

Currently, most community news sites are little more than “shovelware” (straightforward, unenhanced online republication of print-edition stories). While shovelware is better than having no online presence at all, it’s generally not very engaging.

Here are six examples of creative approaches that could be applied to improve any community news site...

links for 2006-04-04

• Teaching Online Journalism: Investigative story as multimedia package
  "This story is so well-written (exceptionally so), it would surely be read by lots of newspaper readers if it appeared on Page One. It draws you in fast, and it holds your attention. But that's not how online grabs and holds us."
  (tags: journalism multimedia newspapers mainstream+media storytelling tidbits+fodder)