http://www.knightcomm.org/taking-stock-of-the-state-of-web-journalism/ A project of the Aspen Institute and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Mon, 14 May 2012 09:32:22 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 http://www.knightcomm.org/taking-stock-of-the-state-of-web-journalism/#comment-6778 Amy Garmer Wed, 07 Dec 2011 23:07:58 +0000 http://www.knightcomm.org/?p=6459#comment-6778 Public radio is indeed well positioned to fill the gaps in local journalism, particularly if it looks to digital platforms to extend reach and engagement. In her white paper (Rethinking Public Media, on this site) and recent HuffPo op-ed, Barbara Cochran presents a strong argument for supporting public media to advance this mission. Another of our white papers, Re-Imagining Local Journalism: Local News for a Networked World, by Mike Fancher, empahsizes the need for experimentation at this moment precisley because no one is sure what will work, what will be sustainable and scalable--the criteria set out by Tom Stites for achieving success. As the lists of local news sites and experiments continue to grow, we should keep in mind that the goal is just what you've said -- a well-informed public -- and make sure we invest in start-ups and "legacy" institutions who place public service at the center of their mission. Please consider sharing more about how your public radio station is engaging the community in new ways and what kinds of success you are having -- we're eager to highlight good work! Public radio is indeed well positioned to fill the gaps in local journalism, particularly if it looks to digital platforms to extend reach and engagement. In her white paper (Rethinking Public Media, on this site) and recent HuffPo op-ed, Barbara Cochran presents a strong argument for supporting public media to advance this mission. Another of our white papers, Re-Imagining Local Journalism: Local News for a Networked World, by Mike Fancher, empahsizes the need for experimentation at this moment precisley because no one is sure what will work, what will be sustainable and scalable–the criteria set out by Tom Stites for achieving success. As the lists of local news sites and experiments continue to grow, we should keep in mind that the goal is just what you've said — a well-informed public — and make sure we invest in start-ups and "legacy" institutions who place public service at the center of their mission. Please consider sharing more about how your public radio station is engaging the community in new ways and what kinds of success you are having — we're eager to highlight good work!

]]> http://www.knightcomm.org/taking-stock-of-the-state-of-web-journalism/#comment-6776 Ellen Rocco Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:45:39 +0000 http://www.knightcomm.org/?p=6459#comment-6776 We are exploring how a "legacy" institution, public radio, can help community access to news and information flourish on digital platforms. The advantage of our starting point is an existing constituency, a seasoned news team, deep roots into the community and an effective fundraising/revenue model. The challenge: incorporating the cost of maintaining services and access on a variety of digital platforms...over the long haul. We're experimenting with some new revenue-generating ideas and with lots of ways of bringing new people into using and contributing to the content. We are just one tiny experiment. I assume there are lots of tiny experiments going on around the country. If I have any hope about the future of a well-informed public, it comes from this image of small projects across the nation all trying to make a difference...and pay the bills. We are exploring how a "legacy" institution, public radio, can help community access to news and information flourish on digital platforms. The advantage of our starting point is an existing constituency, a seasoned news team, deep roots into the community and an effective fundraising/revenue model. The challenge: incorporating the cost of maintaining services and access on a variety of digital platforms…over the long haul. We're experimenting with some new revenue-generating ideas and with lots of ways of bringing new people into using and contributing to the content. We are just one tiny experiment. I assume there are lots of tiny experiments going on around the country. If I have any hope about the future of a well-informed public, it comes from this image of small projects across the nation all trying to make a difference…and pay the bills.

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