For independent media publishers, an extensive digital archive isn't necessarily a given. While attention is placed on creating stories online, what happens to digital-born content past a certain date is up to the site. With no paper trail or guarantee of a backlog, we're potentially creating informational and cultural gaps in our records.

The Reynolds Journalism Institute is hosting an event on November 10-11 at the University of Missouri in Columbia for journalists ready to fill this "memory hole." The forum will explore ways to improve digital preservation and engage thoughts on creating long-term goals in newsrooms where producers focus more on the day-to-day.

Register for RJI's "Dodging the Memory Hole"

Registration is free and is open to journalists, with a wait list for others.

While it may not feel like a priority in a production workflow, there are consequences to leaving out the archiving process -- particularly when stories are specialized and provide strong insight into a niche or community.