More Blogs Discussing the Future of News
Variety of Viewpoints Offered From BuzzMachine to NewspaperProject
Jul 27, 2009
As everyone knows, the news business is changing swiftly and dramatically. As the parent companies of large newspapers file for bankruptcy and other newspaper companies begin to offer a digital version of their product at least part of the time, many news consumers are left confused and concerned by what they hear, including this:
- The future of news is to be found online
- Online media is an interactive media
- The opportunities to become informed are limitless online
Citizens concerned about their shrinking newspapers can smooth their own transition to 'netizen' - an individual at home on the internet -- by tuning in to the expanding world of journalism blogs. There are many written by print journalists-turned-new-media consultants who are discussing and exploring the new ways that journalism is developing.
For Many, BuzzMachine is The Authority
BuzzMachine (at BuzzMachine.com) is considered by those in the know to be one of the granddaddies of journalism blogs - and one of the best. It has been online in its current form since 2005. Jeff Jarvis, who created it, and updates it continually, is the author of What Would Google Do? (Harper Collins, 2009).
Jarvis also directs the interacitve journalism project in City University of New York's graduate program, and writes a regular column at the Guardian. His route into blogging began solidly in the old print world of journalism with stops along the way at the Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Examiner, People Magazine, TV Guide and the New York Daily News, before he helped to found Entertainment Weekly.
Jarvis is a fervent convert to the world of new media, and has done much to explain its interactive qualities to anyone who would listen.
Check MediaShift or Two from Inside the News Business for Different Views
MediaShift (at pbs.org) describes its mission as "tracking how weblogs, podcasting, citizen journalism, wikis, news aggregators, and online video are changing the media .....and how we get our news." It is an excellent place for the news consumer to find an explanation for his or her own changing media habits, should one be needed.
Online since 2006, MediaShift is more like an e-magazine with many contributors, than, strictly speaking, a blog. Long-time freelance journalist Mark Glaser serves as "host", and writes many of the articles. Dozens of regular and guest contributors add reports and analyses of media news.
Two blogs from those still hard at work inside the struggling newspaper industry provide a different viewpoint. Community Newspapers - Hear Them Roar (at newspapertiger.com), is written by Sharon Hill, freelance writer/ marketing manager and a former newspaper advertising manager. Her new posts occur every few days and they offer a casual, but perceptive "insider's take" on business issues.
The Newspaper Project (at Newspaperproject.org) was launched earlier this year by news executives, including Randy Siegel (Parade Publications) Donna Barrett (Community Newspaper Holdings), Brian Tierney (Philadelphia Media Holdings) and Jay Smith (formerly of Cox Newsapapers). It offers a collection of well-updated links to news industry developments. It includes a mix of content, some that is web-friendly news, and some that seems web-phobic.
Yelvington.com Discusses New Roles for Newspapers
Steve Yelvington introduces himself at the top of his blog: "I'm a lifelong journalist and now a media strategist. These are my own thoughts."
His thoughts include many about newspapers, and what they have gotten wrong about the internet. While still working exclusively in print media, Yelvington got introduced to the Web as a hobby. "I had run a dial-up bulletin board for years," he explained. From that experience he knew the power of the Web for human interaction and the strong motivator which that would become.
He writes thoughtfully and persuasively about all this, yet also with hope about what newspaper companies might still do to succeed. In an interview at Online Journalism Review he said that the core franchise of any newspaper is local life. "The Web offers us many opportunities to provide useful, unique local services, but by and large we have failed to step up to that challenge."
Yelvington is respected on both sides of the print and digital media divide. As a strategist for the interactive division of Morris Newspapers, his newspaper Web sites have won more awards than any other newspaper chain in America.
 |
