Journalism That Matters is getting a facelift – or at least the JTM website is. Responding to member needs to provide a more interactive, flexible and user-friendly site, as well as provide resources and other support for the many initiatives growing out of JTM events,  Journalism That Matters has adopted a journalism oriented WordPress theme that will provide the organization just the infrastructure it needs to continue supporting its members well into the 21st century.

“JTM’s ‘unconferences’ have always had an open, unstructured format,” says co-founder Peggy Holman. “We wanted to extend this interactive, mash-up approach to the website.” The new site  gives members and initiative leaders the opportunity to run both topical and project-oriented sessions on-line in real time, as well as utilize all the social networking tools that normally grease the wheels of communication, improving personal and professional connections and facilitating community organizing.

JTM Online includes member profiles, a searchable, sortable members directory, friend connections, and public and private messaging between members. Interactive activity streams are available for each member, with one collective activity stream for all member and initiative

Sessions include their own events calendar, file sharing of documents in popular formats like Microsoft Office and Open Office documents, images, audio and video files, and archives comprised of other files. Session members can subscribe to receive notifications of session activity in email.

JTM Publishing is another exciting innovation that comes with the new site, providing the opportunity for JTM members, initiatives, and the  JTM organization itself  to use the JTM website to host other professional websites and/or business and personal blogs. Initiatives and future unconferences can make use of JTM Publishing, creating their own web sites, custom domain names and blogs hosted by and integrated with JTM’s main site and JTM Online.

Unlike generic hosting sites, JTM Publishing provides specific website features customized to the needs of journalists.  In addition, using JTM hosting guarantees your work will flow directly into a relevant, supportive, and interested community, providing opportunities for both professional social networking, discussion, and support of new ideas.