Mclellan Blog | Knight Digital Media Center

The Future of Journalism at CES 2013

News for Digital Innovators

Wed, January 16, 2013 | 4:23 p.m. PST

Aside from the 4G TVs, this year's Consumer Electronics Show offered some useful new gadgets for journalists. What might you really want to buy -- and what's not quite ready for journalism prime time yet?

Mobile content strategy: It's really about being adaptive

Community News Leadership 3.0

Tue, January 15, 2013 | 10:13 p.m. PST

by Amy Gahran

Whether you're making your community news/info website more mobile-friendly, or perhaps creating your own smartphone or tablet app, it helps to consider how to optimize your content, not just your design and user interface, for mobile devices. A new book, Content Strategy for Mobile, offers some options and lessons that community site owners might put to use in order to better serve their communities.

Robert Niles on making money from niche news sites

Community News Leadership 3.0

Wed, January 9, 2013 | 8:27 a.m. PST

by Amy Gahran

Community or locally focused websites are just another kind of digital content niche -- and there are many ways for niche sites to earn revenue. In a new e-book, longtime niche news publisher Robert Niles explains how to make money from niche news. In a recent interview he explained how his advice can apply to local news and information.

LION independent publishers group recruits 75 members

News for Digital Innovators

Fri, January 4, 2013 | 3:12 p.m. PST

by Amy Gahran

This week Local Independent Online News Publishers (LION) announced it exceeded its first-year recruiting goal by 50%. Currently the group has 75 members, even though it had aimed to recruit 50 in 2012.

Medill offers free social media, SEO consulting for hyperlocal sites

News for Digital Innovators

Thu, January 3, 2013 | 11:45 a.m. PST

by Amy Gahran

Could your community news/info site use help developing a sound strategy for search engine optimization and social media? This spring, Medill students will offer this help, for free, for up to 10 hyperlocal sites.

Floodlight: New digital tool helps Colorado organizations tell their stories

Community News Leadership 3.0

Mon, December 31, 2012 | 10:00 p.m. PST

by Susan Mernit

A data-driven local foundation is empowering the many non-profit and community organizations it works with to tell their stories and present information without having to be experts in blogging or data visualization.

New e-book: How to Make Money Publishing Community News Online

News for Digital Innovators

Wed, December 19, 2012 | 3:51 p.m. PST

by Amy Gahran

This week longtime community news publisher Robert Niles released a new e-book intended to help community and niche news publishers build a strong business that helps communities while making money.

ConnectOC: Connecting Orange County's haves and have-nots with public data

Community News Leadership 3.0

Tue, December 18, 2012 | 8:01 a.m. PST

by Lisa Williams

ConnectOC challenges Orange County's vision of itself as a place of prosperity with the stark facts about homelessness, hunger, education, and healthcare -- and wants to connect civic data to civic action.