RJI news
Making it easier for small publishers to bolster their subscriber base
As an RJI institutional fellowship managed by Rebekah Monson, WhereBy.Us is partnering with the Institute for Non-Profit News and the Information Experience Lab at the University of Missouri to build-out an open source app that helps small publishers grow our subscriber lists. Our new UX developer lead, Michael Schofield, is overseeing the design and development phases of the project, and has written the following update to share what we’re learning from user testing prototypes and how that’s affecting what we’re making now.
Humera Lodhi: Creating a tool to uncover stories that aren’t being discussed or reported
When I first decided I wanted to be a journalist, my friends were a little shocked. I heard phrases like “journalism’s dead,” or “you’re never going to find a job,” or “what would you even do,” over, and over, and over again. To them, journalism was limited to newspapers — something that didn’t play a … Continued
The four P’s of sponsorship sales: price, promotion, package and placement
Are you a small, independent news site or a news entrepreneur seeking to connect with your local bank or hospital for sponsorship? If so, keep the four P’s in mind when developing relationships with sponsors. The goal of a sponsorship is to build financial support for your organization. And sponsors may be seeking a marketing or … Continued
Data-driven storytelling: Bridges of Missouri
According to the Federal Highway Administration, Missouri has the fourth-highest number of structurally deficient bridges in the United States. This week for Innovation in Focus, Megan Smith investigates this number to learn why. Watch our second segment next week to hear from an expert on data-driven storytelling and why it’s vital to utilize at your news … Continued
Students create guide to teach journalists how to teach ‘the robots’
Artificial intelligence. Machine-learning. Natural-language processing. These terms have become buzzwords flying around the internet, boardrooms and everywhere in between. And journalists are not just writing about the emerging topics, they are also stepping up efforts to harness the enthusiasm.
Fellowship program embeds top performing students in top newsrooms across the country
News organizations gain access to ‘innovative, tech-savvy journalism students’
Voice technology + Real estate info = Opportunity + Maybe good karma, too
“How much is my home worth?”
“How many homes have sold in my ZIP code?”
“Can I afford the home I’m driving past?”
“Who is the best Realtor for me?”
Tips to consider for porting real estate info to voice devices
Voice is just another interface A voice-activated device is like a browser you interact with by speaking instead of pointing and clicking. An Alexa skill or Google Assistant Action is just a thin layer that 1) defines the patterns of speech for which the device is listening; and 2) maps the components of that speech … Continued
Three social media takeaways for the (very) small newsroom
Anna Kohls, Courtney Manning, Collin Krabbe and Marlee Baldridge An instruction manual prepared by Missouri School of Journalism students Anna Kohls, Courtney Manning, Collin Krabbe and Marlee Baldridge for the staff of the Berkshire Edge as part of the students’ capstone project. A style guide for the Berkshire Edge’s social media efforts created by Missouri … Continued
Student competition team maps out path to success in Austin, 20 other cities
Maply is a crowdsourced mobile map app for finding and sharing what’s happening nearby. It was created by four University of Missouri undergraduates and was awarded the Technical Merit Award at the 2015–2016 annual RJI student competition. Since that time, the Maply team was selected for the Startup Spotlight at SXSW 2017, has expanded its … Continued