This is one of those sites you could spend hours and hours with. And should. Michelle McLellan, a Ph.D. student at the University of Missouri, has compiled a list of new local news providers. And maybe more importantly, she has categorized them in a way that helps to see what kind of news sites are being produced. Some are hyperlocal sites in large cities, but many are in small towns or are citizen journalism efforts. Why should people at Texas community newspapers pay attention? Well, some experimental sites in the Lone Star State are mentioned (check out http://impactnews.com/contact-us/about-us, for example), and many of the sites are a treasure trove of ideas for developing your own website.
Month: May 2010
The blog Lost Remote has published what the bloggers consider to be the five stages of new media acceptance. You can probably look back at your own experience with anything from the Web to Twitter and find yourself on the list. Here they are:
1. Denial: You believe the new app is useless, doesn’t apply to community journalism, or definitely won’t make any money for your newspaper.
2. Disbelief: You read about the app’s use at other newspapers and can’t believe people are wasting their time. And even if it IS working for them, you know it won’t work in your town or at your newspaper.
3. Trial: OK, you decide you’ll give it a brief trial since so many others are doing it. But you are pretty sure nothing will come of it.
4. Acceptance: It works! Readers are following you on Twitter. Your website is getting hits from your Facebook page!
5. Piousness: You run into your friends at TPA meetings and tell them that anyone who doesn’t have a Facebook page is hopelessly behind the times. You call the Center’s Andrew Chavez and ask if he wants you to “give a testimony” on the success of your website at the next workshop.