Journalism News, JTM News, Member News, Seattle

Seattle: A New Media Case Study

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The Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism recently released its “State of the News Media 2011” report. It includes “Seattle: A New Media Case Study,” an essay Pew asked me to write about Seattle’s changing news landscape.

I was reluctant to take on the task because anything short of an extensive study would be inherently flawed. But I decided to do the report to stimulate conversation in the “Seattle Journalism Commons,” soon to be launched by Journalism That Matters Pacific Northwest.

More about the Commons another day, but for now this blog will launch the conversation.

Here are the opening paragraphs of my essay for Pew:

Seattle, perhaps more than any other American city, epitomizes the promise and challenges of American journalism at the local level.

In the last few years, it has experienced both a sharp loss of traditional news resources and an exciting rise in new journalistic enterprises and inventive collaborations between traditional and emerging media. A New America Foundation case study of Seattle’s news ecosystem describes it as ‘a digital community still in transition.’ A new, vibrant media scene is emerging. But it also may not take hold.

I listed several factors that have created positive energy in Seattle’s media landscape. They include lots of experimentation and collaboration, an abundance of hyper-local news sites, and public acceptance of and engagement with emerging media.

I also listed what I regard as unmet or under-met news and information needs. They include voids created by the erosion of traditional media that are not yet being filled by emerging media. Among these are state capital coverage, arts and culture coverage, and public insight or networked journalism. In terms of needs, I also mentioned foundation support, mapping and metrics for assessing information opportunities, and challenges in finding sustainable business models for emerging media.

The report included an annotated list of “noteworthy outlets that illustrate what is happening in digital journalism in Seattle.” It began with a caveat that any such list would be incomplete and immediately out of date.

Boy, was I right. Between the time I sent the final version of the list to my editors at Pew and the time it was posted, John Cook and Todd Bishop left TechFlash and launched Geek Wire.

My hope is that people will build on my list with their own links and observations. You can post them here, and we’ll build a longer list as we go.

Initial reaction to my Pew piece is encouraging, which is to say it is getting some praise and healthy push back from various corners.

A specific criticism that surprised me is that arts coverage is more robust than my assessment. I would love to hear more views on that. In the meantime, the first addition to my annotated list of noteworthy websites needs to be Encore Media Group’s CityArtsonline.com and City Arts Blog.

Also on the list of concerns is that my perspective is an old media view of new media. I plead guilty. This blog is open for other perspectives from the people who are shaping the regional news and information ecosystem.

Please read my Pew essay and offer your thoughts. Here are some specific questions to kick around:

  • What’s the current state of Seattle’s regional news and information ecosystem?
  • What trends are you noticing?  What’s working?
  • What does a healthy regional news and information ecosystem look like?
  • How can we stimulate more dialogue and idea sharing about news and information innovation?
  • How can we create more public engagement with journalism?
  • How can we increase the diversity of voices participating in conversations about journalism?
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Create or Die 2

Disrupting the Status Quo
with Journalism Innovation and Entrepreneurship

June 2-5, 2011
University of North Carolina Greensboro

Register for Create or Die 2 in Greensboro, United States on Eventbrite

We are creating a mashup of journalists, technologists, community activists, educators and others to help us reimagine a media landscape that speaks to diverse communities and underrepresented populations.

The three-day event is a design/build/pitch “unconference” format. Participants will create sessions based on the passions that they bring with them. Our goal is to put the right people in the room to create journalism innovations and entrepreneurial ideas from the event.

We are particularly focusing on bringing together the nation’s best thinkers and doers to help address “media deserts” – places with little or no access to local news and information. We are focusing on examples of community news and information sites outside of traditional media that may serve as examples of sustainable community journalism.

If you are interested in innovations in community news and information, bring your perspectives to add a unique dimension to the event conversations.

And spread the word — invite the people in your networks who are passionate about great journalism and community stories.

For more information, visit www.createordie2.org.

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Beyond Books

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Democracy in America’s Libraries

A work session for journalists, librarians and the public

April 6-7, 2011 / MIT / Cambridge, Mass.
(immediately prior to the National Conference for Media Reform)

For more information and to register go to:
http://www.biblionews.org

For three centuries in American towns large and small, two institutions have uniquely marked a commitment to participatory democracy, learning and open inquiry — our libraries and our free press.

Today, economic and political realities – or fashions – invite a thoughtful examination of their roles, and the opportunity for collaboration among these two historic community information centers, one largely public, one largely private.

Journalism That Matters, (the American Library Association,) the MIT Center for Future Civic Media, the Media Giraffe Project at UMass Amherst and the New England News Forum invite you to join in a work session for civic information transparency that builds from and beyond books.

With via a pre-event social network, an evening agenda-setting dialogue, a day of roundtable planning and closing action commitments, we’ll discover what’s possible at the intersection of public spaces, open documents, citizen reporting and journalistic purpose.

Among the questions we may ask:
• What might libraries do to facilitate community social news networks?
• Must free speech be absolute within a taxpayer-supported institution?
• Should librarians be more partisan than reporters? Reporters more partisan than librarians?
• Are libraries poised to become public-access media centers as cable fades?
• Should a library operate a news collective, non-profit or citizen-journalism service?
• How can libraries help preserve a free digital information commons?

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What support do journalists need? *Survey now closed, stay tuned for results*

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[UPDATE] The survey is now closed. Thanks for all who participated! Results coming soon.
As part of the Journalism That Matters Pacific Northwest community, we’d like to hear from you!

What do you think our region needs, or is doing well?

In partnership with Lisa Skube, Fellow at the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute, we’re reaching out to learn more about the tools you use to get your work done, questions on your mind, and areas you’d like to know more about.

As one outgrowth of last January’s Journalism That Matters conference in the Pacific Northwest, a small group of us are working with Lisa.  We’re in the early stages of creating a “Seattle Journalism Commons” to connect people and ideas in person and online in order to catalyze journalists and the public in creating, disseminating, and engaging with news and information of, by and for people in our region.  We hope it becomes an example for other communities.

The idea for the commons began with Mike Fancher, retired executive editor of the Seattle Times and author of the just released Seattle: A New Media Case Study which is part of the Pew State of the News Media 2011 report.

The survey will take less than 10 minutes to complete. Click here to participate
Individual responses to the questionnaire are confidential.
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We will share what we learn in a summary that will be posted for your review here on JTM’s site.
Thanks for your support!
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