Revenue strategies
Is covering climate change going to be ultimate test of the value of journalism?
Journalist/activist (he says he is both) Bill McKibben made some important points last week as he accepted the Estlow Anvil of Freedom Award from the University of Denver in an event which RJI helped convene. He argues that that journalists have a responsibility to cover what’s significant, and that just because they have a point … Continued
2012: What we know now on building public trust, raising money and a free press
Was 2012 prosperous for publishers? The four-part series continues, with this third installment offering key lessons from three well-respected practitioners known for thinking outside the box. Mike Fancher, veteran news business strategist and 2008–2009 Reynolds Fellow; Lila LaHood, director of operations and development at San Francisco Public Press; and Keith Hammonds, director of Ashoka’s Knowledge … Continued
Another voice explains why newspapers must move beyond the news
We’ve written about the need for newspapers to stop thinking about they physical product and start acting like “information valets” for their users in an age where attention is at a premium — helping users to manage their “personas.” We’ve co-authored a piece about efforts at the New London, Conn. Day newspaper. Now another voice is now … Continued
Pivot Point: A first step for sharing next steps — listserv
Proponents of projects broached at RJI’s Pivot Point gathering in June now have an initial place to share ideas and action steps — a Google Groups listserv. RJI is studying the most helpful way to find, expose and advance projects such as those shared at Pivot Point.
Pivot Point: Next steps
Last month, the Reynolds Journalism Institute convened 34 engineers, publishers, editors, researchers and academics in Chicago for a gathering entitled: “Pivot Point: Reinventing Community, Reinventing News in a Connected World.” In this post, we’ll report on why we gathered, what we did, and what should happen next. We’d like your suggestions. Please email densmorew@rjionline.org, or … Continued
AUDIO: Are privacy, identity and trust building blocks for new news ecology? A discussion
BOSTON — Are privacy, identity and trust necessary building blocks for the new news ecosystem? Panel Q&A Topic: Privacy, identity, trust, commerce: Foundation blocks for 21st-century news? In this 85-minute session, experts discuss the idea during a New England Newspaper & Press Association panel recorded Feb. 11, 2012 at a Boston hotel. Speakers are Bill … Continued
Spot.us and Public Insight Network — nuancing support for civic journalism; exploring “persona”
The combination of crowd-source journalism payment pioneer Spot.us with the non-profit Public Insight Network (PIN) — which is testing the waters of what could become a news-focused sharing service — is intriguing for the possibilities. Look to St. Paul, Minn.-based American Public Media — which owns PIN — to start innovating and testing. There are … Continued
An interview with Mike Fancher, author of Re-Imagining Journalism: Local News for a Networked World
Across the field of journalism we’ve had an “information infusion” from a broad range of sources over the summer. Analysis, review and reporting from the likes of PEW, Knight, the Economist, Clay Shirky, the FCC’s recent 450+ page report furthering the analysis Knight Foundation started two years ago, and CJR’s recent write up “What We … Continued
Joplin paper editor finds tornado affirms mission of journalism
BRANSON, Mo. — Sandwiched between standing ovations before and after her 27-minute address, the daily editor from tornado-ravaged Joplin, Missouri, offered a stirring endorsement of why newspapers matter. “If people are saying newspapers are dead they don’t really know what stuff we are made of,” Carol Stark told members of the Newspaper Association Managers gathered … Continued
A CALL TO ACTION: Time to make the marketplace for privacy, trust, identity and information commerce
“A non-profit collaboration to share technology, users and content could help news organizations find new revenues and become better at serving the public, according to a report from the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri.”— excerpt from Aug. 4 announcement. This week I’m relieved and grateful to report the publication of … Continued