Does print still have value? The people at neighborsgo.com would argue that it does. This website, which is a spinoff of the Dallas Morning News, is using a social network to anchor a community journalism initiative. Local residents create profiles and post information about their interests.
Every week, editors dig through content submitted by citizens and produce 18 local print editions. Here’s a description of how it works. The opportunity to be featured in print is a major impetus for local residents to contribute, says managing editor Oscar Martinez (left). And it may actually be a jump start for careers. One journalism student has used her trip to Beijing to contribute a series of articles on the preparations for the Olympics. The visibility she’s received has been worth more than any internship could offer.
Martinez is a career newspaper guy who made the switch to online media eight years ago. He understands the difficulties that print journalists are experiencing in moving to a new medium. In this audio interview, he talks about the innovations that are working for neighborsgo and how journalists can find their distinct value in a new world of consumer-generated media.
To play the interview, click on the button below. To download, right-click here and save to a local file. Playing time: 49:53
[audio:Neighborsgo.mp3]Comments
This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 15th, 2008 at 7:12 am and is filed under Google, Solutions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
I’m a publicist in Dallas and I really enjoyed this interview with Oscar. Thank you for “getting behind the scene” with the Neighbors Go that I have used numerous times with my clients.
Lori
[…] Neighborsgo.com out of Dallas is a really interesting experiment in community journalism, with 18 local editions generated by readers. Newzjunky is a one-man publisher in Watertown, New York, who is driving the local community paper nuts. There’s a guy I’ve written about my own hometown, Hopkinton, Massachusetts, started a Website called Hop News. He’s one guy. He’s a photographer, he goes around the town and documents what’s happening. He’s been at it five years now being a one man band. Is he making a living? He complements it with his photography business, but it’s a profitable business. […]
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