Comments for Gatoramy's Weblog http://gatoramy.wordpress.com Just another WordPress.com weblog Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:07:25 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on by Doug Fisher http://gatoramy.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/4/#comment-3 Doug Fisher Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:07:25 +0000 http://gatoramy.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/4/#comment-3 I don't want to let you go misled -- it is very easy for you as an individual to set up your own news site and write on the topics of your choice. Just a Blogger or a Wordpress account like this is all you need. Whether original reporting or commentary -- or a mix -- if you liberally link to other sources, your material will be found. If it is solid, it will gain reputation and readers. Even two or three of you could get together and do it for almost nothing except your time (and maybe the cost of a digital camera and gas or the phone). With a community news site, however, the metrics are a bit different. First, you aren't relying on you or a couple of people. You are trying to get dozens, perhaps hundreds, of people involved. To do that, you have to recruit, and that means things like business cards to remind people. It may mean paying someone to be a stringer/ambassador. And since you need control over the site, you have to get the server space and maybe expertise to install and fine-tune it, even if the software (Drupal) is open-source. You also want a bit of an identity other than the canned templates, so you spend a little more for design, etc. That's where the money goes :) But don't think that you, as a freelance journalist, has to spend thousands to start your own site and get your reporting out. Ten minutes and no cost and you're ready. Then it's up to you to do the journalism. Newspapers are suffering greatly, but not because of the rise of "amateurs." I invite you to look at my most recent post <a href="http://commonsensej.blogspot.com/2008/01/wither-american-newspaper-primer.html" rel="nofollow">http://commonsensej.blogspot.com/2008/01/wither-american-newspaper-primer.html</a> and follow the link to the referenced article. Read the comments if you want a really good idea of why newspapers are faltering. Again, that's newspapers, not journalism. There's a big difference. Chrs, Doug I don’t want to let you go misled — it is very easy for you as an individual to set up your own news site and write on the topics of your choice. Just a Blogger or a WordPress account like this is all you need. Whether original reporting or commentary — or a mix — if you liberally link to other sources, your material will be found. If it is solid, it will gain reputation and readers. Even two or three of you could get together and do it for almost nothing except your time (and maybe the cost of a digital camera and gas or the phone).

With a community news site, however, the metrics are a bit different. First, you aren’t relying on you or a couple of people. You are trying to get dozens, perhaps hundreds, of people involved. To do that, you have to recruit, and that means things like business cards to remind people. It may mean paying someone to be a stringer/ambassador. And since you need control over the site, you have to get the server space and maybe expertise to install and fine-tune it, even if the software (Drupal) is open-source. You also want a bit of an identity other than the canned templates, so you spend a little more for design, etc. That’s where the money goes :)

But don’t think that you, as a freelance journalist, has to spend thousands to start your own site and get your reporting out. Ten minutes and no cost and you’re ready. Then it’s up to you to do the journalism.

Newspapers are suffering greatly, but not because of the rise of “amateurs.” I invite you to look at my most recent post http://commonsensej.blogspot.com/2008/01/wither-american-newspaper-primer.html and follow the link to the referenced article. Read the comments if you want a really good idea of why newspapers are faltering. Again, that’s newspapers, not journalism. There’s a big difference.

Chrs,
Doug

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