March 05, 2008
Transparency and Interactivity
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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