Local coverage

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Digidave on February 2, 2008 at 5:10pm

Just off the top of my head: You could use Pligg to start your own social news site around your own specific niche.

John Battelle used to use this on his blog: People would vote on what they thought were the best posts he did. It was real time reader feedback.

In truth, however, this question jumps the gun a bit. Local journalists will have a harder time than national journalists -- then again, perhaps that's only the state of things right now because local journalists haven't brainstormed about it.

I expect more niche to form in social news sites: WIth Reddit opening up their API - anyone can create their own sub-reddits now. I could literally create a "San Franciso Giants" reddit -- dedicated to stories all about the Giants.

In Newsvine you can create groups -- and invite people into them. I am a member of the web 2.0 group and the Citizen Journalism group. No reason why a journalist could just create a "TK beat" group.

I expect more social news sites to allow more freedom in this sense.

Permalink Reply by Vera Alves on February 4, 2008 at 1:34pm

II keep reading about using all the social stuff but then, working in a specific geographic area, i find it really hard (not to say impossible) to put that into practice. Maybe it's just my case. We can see it's a bit different from the US because you even managed to create groups here dividing you in different geographic areas. It might be just a matter of time until what's easy for national journalists becomes more accessible for local ones as well.

Thanks for starting the topic, Maurreen. ;)

Permalink Reply by Maurreen Skowran on February 5, 2008 at 12:12am

Thanks, Vera. I think that these social things are much less useful for the vast majority of journalists, who are focused on local-to-regional coverage. (Sorry, David.)

Permalink Reply by Digidave on February 5, 2008 at 12:14am

That's fine. But - I think you are failing to see that inside the forest are lots of trees. You can define your own scope.