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

Using Media to Create Shade in Miami’s Little Haiti: Part 2

PRI’s morning news show The Takeaway, co-produced with WNYC Radio, has been in Miami this week trying a new approach to serving a community. Instead of covering the Little Haiti neighborhood, journalists are trying to build ties and engage Haitian residents in the newsgathering. This is the second of two posts from PRI’s Michael Skoler … Continued

The Takeaway seeks to engage diverse communities via texting: Part 1

This week, The Takeaway takes to the streets of Miami in the latest of its experiments to partner with communities in gathering news and uncovering stories that deserve attention. The Takeaway is a new morning news show produced by Public Radio International (PRI) and WNYC Radio. Initial audience data shows its conversational format and editorial … Continued

Steal this idea! Hot new revenue for news

How does this sound? A million dollar revenue stream that requires only a salesperson or two, some web support and off-the-shelf e-commerce and newsletter tools? It caught my eye. And I’m suggesting you steal the idea for your local news operation fast before national competitors own the market. The idea is Deal Brokering. You use … Continued

Michael Skoler: Mid-year report

With so many meetings, conferences, reports and workshops about the future of news, it’s a wonder anyone has time to think creatively about the future. I have read reports, attended a few of those meetings, and followed tweets and notes about others. My impression is that most of today’s discussion on the future is not … Continued

Journalists must learn to share information to build readers’ trust

An interview with Michael Skoler as he begins his fellowship year. When the folks at American Public Media wanted to build a better partnership with their listeners, they called on veteran National Public Radio reporter and editor Michael Skoler to lead the charge. Skoler created a new approach to news called Public Insight Journalism and … Continued