March 05, 2008
How to engage the community through blogs, utilize key words and building communities beyond geographic locations.
This group’s recommended:
1. Draw community bloggers under the newspapers’ online site.
-recruit community-based bloggers and engage the readers in the selection.
-provides exposure to the bloggers and also expands the links of the papers to other online sites.
What I like about this idea is it incorporates the community almost in a job-like basis with the paper. There are several sports websites already doing this, and MLB.com was basically started this way. It is important to have very specific guidelines for the bloggers so it does not get out of hand. I think the creation of these pages needs to be done in the most creative manner possible to attract readers and encourage the bloggers to treat their site seriously. I also think this idea opens doors for young reporters like myself who are looking for a foothold in the journalism world.
2. A simple search mechanism. Getting more traffic to the website is obviously the key. Some online news sites, such as http://www.grist.org, utilize search words very well. This will require a decent amount of consultation with staff in order for this to be plausible and effective. The monthly report showing changes will be essential to drawing advertisers and should be given adequate attention.
3. Neighborhood connections. Creating a network of newspaper opinion communities. I think this is a great idea, if other papers are willing to participate. There are so many ways to ask for help, advice or brainstorm ideas with other papers. I do think this could get political if some corporate newspaper owners don’t like the idea of papers getting help from one another. This is a very proactive idea, and would take a lot of time and coordination to work and operate successfully.
By Susan Grant, 03/05/08 at 10:58 am
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March 05, 2008
A look at how to put together new interactive media in an organized manner.
This group’s thoughts included:
1. Blog as Focal Point.
2. Accessories: AltOp forms: Finding alternative ways to solicit and post audience expressions in forms other than writing. One of the ways to do this that I found interesting was integrating music as a form of expression. This will definitely target the younger audiences who download music practically all day long. Music = expression, and I think bringing journalism and music together is a new and exciting idea.
3. Daily TwitterView: Showing lede and link to most diverting opinion piece recently. This would take a time to get going, but could work if Twitter continues to grow.
4. Targeted emails. This is similar to the cell phone text idea. I think reaching out to readers through email and cell phones will be an essential part of keeping newspapers attractive to younger readers.
By Susan Grant, 03/05/08 at 10:33 am
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March 05, 2008
A closer look at how to keep the reputation of a news organization while utilizing interactive tools.
This group’s strategies included:
1. A daily “quick thought” by members of the editorial board that allow reader feedback. I think this is a good idea because a lot of times editorial writers have a mysterious, all-knowing quality about them when you only read about them through their carefully crafted opinions.
2. Set up a standing “Ask the Board” box for emailed questions and post answers.
3. Set up an “Editorial Page Blog to explain thought processes, decisions, voting and possibly a short dissenting opinion.
4. “Instant Opinion” for breaking news and instant feedback.
5. Seek opportunities for radio and television appearances by editorial board members to promote newspaper and increase credibility.
6. Add reader members to editorial board to help inform the paper’s opinion and serve as community ambassadors.
All of these ideas are great, and have already been implemented in other newspapers. Once again, I would like to reference http://www.voiceofsandiego.org, a news website that uses all of these suggestions and is subsequently increasing in readership by the day. The website has stories that are posted daily as well as a section for breaking news and blog entries about the breaking news.
The thought of bringing personalities out from the shadows of the editorial board was a bit controversial around the room. But what is important to remember, like one of the editors here mentioned, is that knowing that the editorial board member enjoys fishing and poetry doesn’t negate their voice as an editorial writer. I see both sides of the argument, however, because newspapers do have a long standing tradition of being the voice of reason and transparency. Newspapers aren’t supposed to have personalities, some say, but in the online world everything is immediate and in your face and the newspapers need to adapt to this change.
One very interesting idea is the use of cell phones to alert readers. ESPN.com already does this. I know because about 20 times a day I get text messages telling me about the NCAA scores, NBA signings and MLB spring training news. The idea of the group took it a step further by having the text messages include questions to the reader. I do think the privacy issue with this (not to mention the cost of text messaging) could pose problems.
By Susan Grant, 03/05/08 at 10:00 am
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March 05, 2008
The cyberspace seminar is the first I’ve attended where everyone is encouraged, and expected to be using laptops. That runs counter to the thinking that taking notes by hand improves retention. In fact, some colleges, including Whitman College, encourage students not to bring laptops to class. The rationale, with which I have agreed, is that students become typists or stenographers at the keyboard instead of analytically thinking through what to include in their notes.
The challenge, I think, is to treat people to apply that same standard of note-taking to computer notes. I’m one of few people taking notes by hand. I need to learn to take notes by computer and NOT be a stenographer. That should transition in analytical note-taking also should be goal for educators.
By Dick Hughes, 03/05/08 at 9:49 am
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As the newspaper world evolves, so do the roles of the opinion section and its writers. Blogger 
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