Entries from Lucas Grindley's blog | Exploring the new way for journalism tagged with 'User-Submitted Content'
Get-Rich-Quick Schemes Disguised As Strategies
Successful business strategies are characterized by hard work and patience. But as newspapers fumble online their tendency is to favor low-effort, high-return schemes. Take for example the partnership of Jeff Jarvis and the New York Times. They plan a handful...
Newspaper decides if you can't beat 'em, buy 'em
When it comes to local niche sites, being first to market can be the determining factor in who wins long-term. The first to market has likely attracted a community of users who are engaged with the site through user-driven content...
'Blogatorial' bridges advertisers to the Web
Before the clock ran out at BostonNOW.com, our advertising sales staff was busy pitching this idea to advertisers. The response, when presented to the right advertiser, was enthusiastic. Feel free to copy the idea, which I've offered to people across...
Newspapers should have launched Google's 'Knol'
Google's new 'how to' site, called Knol, is something I've pitched to newspapers for the last four months during my job search. Now I'm sharing the plan with everyone. When I arrived at BostonNOW, one of the first programs I...
How to grow traffic despite cutting reporters
Unless your Web site is stuck in the 1990s, increasing traffic can be accomplished only by increasing content. Long gone are the days when a little usability research could produce a better design that significantly boosts page views. No whiz-bang...
Let no good deed go un-monetized
If you’ve ever watched “Extreme Home Makeover” on ABC, then you know that good deeds can be compelling, tear-jerking content that also makes someone a heap of money. The show gives away an entire houseful of free stuff, from refrigerators...
Journalism without journalists not as effective
The man who founded one of the first user-submitted newspapers says the future of citizen journalism might require - of all people - journalists. Michael Maier is the founder and CEO of Blogform Publishing and wrote "Journalism without Journalists: Vision...
Social networking starts with a profile
PRESSTIME asked: "Where do you think newspapers should stand in the social networking universe? How would you mesh community and traditional editorial content?" Most everyone on PRESSTIME's panel got this question right, but very few newspaper sites do any of...
Politico's fantasy primary game is wicked cool
A new game from Politico.com aggregates the wisdom of the crowds by letting us average folks play pundit and predict the winners of the presidential primaries. The game is aptly titled, Kingmaker, and is from the makers of Fantasy Congress,...
PRESSTIME, here are the right answers
The latest edition of PRESSTIME includes a Q&A; with Web entrepreneurs who get nearly all the answers wrong. Thankfully, I'm here to set these millionaires straight. There's so many things to correct that this entry is the first in a...
My friend is your business; a.k.a. social networking
After reviewing a number of online dining guides recently, I realized social networking hasn't broken free from MySpace and Facebook like I expect it eventually will. Most newspapers still use the old fashioned feedback tool that lets users rate a...
The next phase for user-generated content
Check out the content of any reverse-published, user-generated publication around the country, and you're likely to find content that is, quite frankly, pretty boring. There's a reason journalists are trained writers. It makes for better storytelling. The next wave of...
Bridge collapse caught on video
Many, many people predicted that all major breaking news would one day be captured on video because recording devices would become so ubiquitous in society that everything is taped. Here's the latest mind-blowing evidence they were right. A day after...
YouTube debate worth it, despite Biden cheating
Since I was such a critic of CNN’s plan to select the video questions for its YouTube debate without any input from users, I’m obliged to admit the producers did an admirable job despite cutting the people out of the...
Anderson Cooper defends YouTube debate
In defense of the CNN-YouTube debate, Anderson Cooper said today that it wasn’t possible to let people vote on which questions should be asked tomorrow because the candidates might cheat. In other words, if everyone was allowed to pick the...
CNN on YouTube debate: 'no comment'
The headline at David Cohn's blog asks, "Why Vote for a Video If the Vote Takers Aren't Listening?" He's talking about the supposed YouTube debate set to air on CNN. It seems you can upload a question for the debate,...
Was WSJ sold? Reporter versus commenter
When Web sites started allowing comments directly on articles, they hoped it would foster debate or that someone would add to the reporting. That happened today with a big story. First, I read on Jeff Jarvis' Buzz Machine blog about...
Citizen media activist fights for some R-E-S-P-E-C-T
I totally forgot to talk about the heated showdown between Amy Gahran of Poynter and an NBC vice president. It happened during a Q&A; at the EPpy convention. Keynote speaker Mark Lukasiewicz, who is vice president for Digital Media at...
What have you done for me lately?
Susan Karol of the Suburban Newspaper Association presented a study about what makes the best community Web sites during the EPpy convention. Oddly enough, the study showed that the best of the best are well known among their users for...
How to save YouTube
YouTube can’t defend itself by claiming it’s good for business. But that’s what it’s been doing since being sued by Viacom for posting its video clips without permission and then making money off the inevitable eyeballs that follow. Here’s how...
And the Oscar goes to: YouTube, but was later removed
The Academy Awards becomes the latest group to insist that YouTube take down clips of its copyrighted broadcast, Variety reports. The clips that were removed are not available on Oscar.com, but the Academy folks said they're taking action to protect...
Google's gamble; Are the lawyers on deck?
Ever since YouTube first surfaced, it’s been a mystery how the thing isn’t shut down. Obviously, there are copyright violations on a massive scale. But instead of going the way of Napster and being torn down, YouTube was bought by...
End of the Craigslist tangent
Let's cap this spate of posts about Craigslist and its founder, Craig Newmark, with a link to a recent podcast interview. Talking again about citizen journalism, Newmark reiterates his belief that "the people who by consensus are saying more important...
Are you serious? Yes or No
And the award for worst poll of the day goes to: Are you superstitious? Yes or No The name of the site posting that worthless poll question is being withheld because it would be unfair to single out just one...
A closer look at effects of micro competitors
An article in The Times says the new wave of community sites is caused by local newspapers’ lack of micro-local coverage. That's true, but there's more to it. Micro-local sites find solid footing because: 1) Newspapers create financial support for...
A new town in the Amazon called Askville
Thanks to an e-mail from Amazon with the subject line: "New Amazon Startup: Askville.com," I might soon find out what song those fatalist musicians play during a montage in the movie, Titanic, as the ship sinks. It's probably "Amazing Grace"...
The art of online journalism
Are we artists? Or, should I ask: aren’t we? Journalism is about making the community better. It’s about challenging people directly, with information. Newspapers, like artists, are out to affect the world. If newspapers die, then some part of society...
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