Comments on: The local blog forum http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/08/09/the-local-blog-forum/ by Jeff Jarvis Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:27:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: kob http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/08/09/the-local-blog-forum/#comment-356537 kob Fri, 10 Aug 2007 13:04:54 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/08/09/the-local-blog-forum/#comment-356537 There is an ocean of stubborn, fearful and reluctant editors operating in newsrooms who see bloggers as a primary threat to their jobs. And if this is the only example of a newspaper doing anything like this, then it shows how rooted this fear is. Editors probably have no idea just how many voices are at work in their communities -- because it can be very difficult to map and locate them. One problem, the main one, is that most editors are looking for bloggers who are writing about the same things their reporter's cover, so they tend to focus on those bloggers who make city desk sense: neighborhood writers; politics, real estate, crime, issue-of-the-day. But most local bloggers are focused on the experience of living in a community, what their lives are like, and it's in this work that you can glean the riches of insight from people who seek to understand, and not just report, what is happening in their community. This group is off the newsroom radar. Newspapers completely tune these writers out because their definition of what constitutes community journalism is too narrow. Many local blogging communities have created outlets for these writers. The Newark newspaper, from my perspective as a local blogger, is breaking no ground except, perhaps, in its industry. Bloggers in my city, DC, have many outlets for reaching broad audiences independent of local newspapers. The local newspaper, in many cases, will be a late comer. This lack of attention by newspapers -- to their own blogging readers -- is one of the reasons why dynamic blogging communities are tuning newspapers out. The Daily Newarker, I suspect, will gain traffic, loyalty and new readers by embracing some of its local talent. I wish them success because their city truly needs what these writers can bring. There is an ocean of stubborn, fearful and reluctant editors operating in newsrooms who see bloggers as a primary threat to their jobs. And if this is the only example of a newspaper doing anything like this, then it shows how rooted this fear is.

Editors probably have no idea just how many voices are at work in their communities — because it can be very difficult to map and locate them.

One problem, the main one, is that most editors are looking for bloggers who are writing about the same things their reporter’s cover, so they tend to focus on those bloggers who make city desk sense: neighborhood writers; politics, real estate, crime, issue-of-the-day.

But most local bloggers are focused on the experience of living in a community, what their lives are like, and it’s in this work that you can glean the riches of insight from people who seek to understand, and not just report, what is happening in their community. This group is off the newsroom radar. Newspapers completely tune these writers out because their definition of what constitutes community journalism is too narrow.

Many local blogging communities have created outlets for these writers. The Newark newspaper, from my perspective as a local blogger, is breaking no ground except, perhaps, in its industry.

Bloggers in my city, DC, have many outlets for reaching broad audiences independent of local newspapers. The local newspaper, in many cases, will be a late comer.

This lack of attention by newspapers — to their own blogging readers — is one of the reasons why dynamic blogging communities are tuning newspapers out.

The Daily Newarker, I suspect, will gain traffic, loyalty and new readers by embracing some of its local talent. I wish them success because their city truly needs what these writers can bring.

]]> By: Ken Walker http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/08/09/the-local-blog-forum/#comment-356513 Ken Walker Fri, 10 Aug 2007 05:27:57 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/08/09/the-local-blog-forum/#comment-356513 Hey Jeff, thanks for the linkage. NJ Voices looks like an interesting project, and I'm looking forward to seeing it evolve. It's encouraging to see so much attention paid to these tragic events in Newark. I hope the efforts of NJV and TDN can help sway public opinion that Newark does matter, and needs the support of the whole state to create a better future for this city Ken The Daily Newarker http://dailynewarker.com Hey Jeff, thanks for the linkage. NJ Voices looks like an interesting project, and I’m looking forward to seeing it evolve.

It’s encouraging to see so much attention paid to these tragic events in Newark. I hope the efforts of NJV and TDN can help sway public opinion that Newark does matter, and needs the support of the whole state to create a better future for this city

Ken
The Daily Newarker
http://dailynewarker.com

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