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Turning to the public for journalism? Well, they did it in baseball

The inspiration for this blog post came from an idle Tuesday night in the basement of my childhood home in Saginaw, Mich.

I’m watching the MLB Network (one of my new favorite channels) at around 2:30 a.m., trying to rework my biological clock to stay up until 5 a.m. since I’ll be working until that time in Arizona. During a commercial, an interesting short feature came on, focusing on a baseball game unlike any other that occurred 59 years ago Tuesday.

Bill Veeck, an ambitious owner of a St. Louis Browns ballclub that was dead last in the American League at 38-81 that year, decided to give fans control of all managerial decisions during a game against the Philadelphia Athletics (49-75):

A day before, Veeck held a contest in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat that would allow fans to vote on the Browns’ starting line-up. Everyone who mailed in their ballot would in return be given a ticket to the Browns-Athletics game; where they would be seated in a special section behind the Browns dugout. Veeck’s plan was for everyone seated in that particular spot in the bleachers, called the Grandstand Managers Section, to vote on what plays the Browns should do next.

Veeck took the concept further by electing two fans to be the first- and third-base coaches for the game, although they had to sit in a box beside the dugout, near manager Zach Taylor, who took in the sights on his night off from decision-making. This was armchair managing taken to a whole new level for the fans.

How did the system work? For each situation that called on the fans for help (the first one didn’t come until the Browns were down 3-0), a public relations employee would hold up a sign, asking the fans what the team should do in that particular situation. Each fan in the section had a sign with “Yes” on one side, “No” on the other, and would hold the sign up with their vote in front. The employee would then relay the call to Taylor, who then relayed the call to his players.

Was it successful? The first question posed was whether to bring the infield in or keep it in double-play position with men on first and third and one out in the top of the first inning. The fans voted to keep the team in double-play position. The result? A double play to end the inning. In fact, the only mistake the fans made was in the bottom half of that inning, with the game tied 3-3. They voted for the man on first to steal second with two outs, and he was caught to end the inning. (Read more about the Grandstand Managers Day)

The St. Louis Browns, who finished the season 52-102, won the game 5-3. They were 1-0 when the fans managed the team.

The idea was duplicated, in fact, on a much grander scale in 2006, when the Schaumburg Flyers, an independent ballclub in Schaumburg, Ill., turned over managerial controls to the fans for the entire second half of the season. This project, partnered with MSN, was dubbed Fan Club: Reality Baseball, and was chronicled over the period of 48 games. These fans had more control than those of the ‘51 Browns: They also had control of front-office moves such as trades. The result? Not as good. The Flyers, who finished the first half 31-17, went 15-33 under the fans’ control.

Translating grandstand managing to grandstand journalism

It doesn’t surprise me that this idea hasn’t been duplicated in any form in the major leagues again. In today’s age of magnified media scrutiny and multimillion-dollar contracts, a concept as outlandish as grandstand managing for what is essentially a true spectator event would spark major controversy, even if both teams involved were out of the playoff race.

But what about journalism?

Okay, this is by no means a new discussion. Many delegate the concept as “citizen journalism,” a term I loathe because of its misleading, stereotypical connotation. It is simply the idea of getting the public more involved in the news-gathering process. Many times, it has nothing to do with writing stories or shooting photos. And despite the efforts of startups such as Spot.Us, news companies in general aren’t doing enough to bring the community’s input into the equation.

What if newspapers routinely asked community members for story ideas? What if, before a reporter begins talking to sources for a story, an effort is made to reach out to community members via social media and inquire about what questions they want asked? What if readers were consulted on ideas and suggestions for the direction of a story? What if they could provide ideas on sources to talk to? What if they were given the opportunity to “complete” a story, a la TBD.com (see photo), via tidbits, photos and news tips?

This concept of “grandstand journalism” was unheard of around, say, the time of the St. Louis Browns. Not because the public didn’t want to be involved — but because they couldn’t. Technology and social media have changed that. It’s no longer as outlandish as it is with baseball now. People can reach out to the media easier than ever. They have a forum. They have a voice. And news organizations need to listen and at least take that into account — or a competitor will.

There are core concepts of journalism that may never change — those so far engrained into the industry’s roots, they will stay there until the end of time. But if a true spectator event such as baseball can break out of the traditional mold, even if it was only temporary, guess what? So can journalism.

I’ll end this entry with a video I linked to a few months ago, but deserves a repeat appearance given the topic. Jeff Jarvis, at TEDxNYED last March, on why “this is bullsh*t”:

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My quick take on TBD.com, a new interpretation of online news

Well, it’s finally here. After about a year, if not more, of development. Jim Brady, Steve Buttry and the TBD gang launched its highly anticipated community-driven news platform today in Washington, D.C.

Normally I wouldn’t be so excited over a news site launching in an area that has almost no relevance to me, but it is widely considered to be a statement to the future of online news. So I have to be excited, right?

I took about 20 minutes to navigate the site. The first thing I noticed? I didn’t have to click all over to find news site necessities — lottery numbers, weather and a calendar, for example — I just scanned the home page. Most news sites bury these sorts of things on their site, if they even display them. TBD.com throws them on the home page. Why? Because people are looking for them! And the way TBD.com is designed, my eyes aren’t confused as to where to go; all these elements are conveniently placed and easy to find.

(One quick idea: A small map, perhaps in the sidebar, that shows me events, police & fire incidents and news in my area, a la Patch.com.)

The next thing I noticed: Excellent branding. TBD.com has spent months building its brand among the ever-growing community network and the city of Washington, particularly through social media and random meetups, but the next thing it’s doing is building the brands of its different sections. The more prominent ones are “The List” and “The 9″ on its homepage. They’re quick, recognizable and, most of all, they draw me in. Navigating further into the site, several TBD blogs, such as TBDScrum, are prominently branded as well, using names similar to the Twitter handles they use.

Speaking of Twitter, the TBD Facts Machine needs a quick mention. It’s a Twitter account that fact-checks and corrects the news in the D.C. area. How many other news organizations are doing this?

My favorite part, however, deals with the philosophy of TBD.com: Hyperlocal community news and features. If I’m in the Washington area, I can plug my zip code right into the home page, below the nav buttons, and find out what’s happening around me, whether it’s the day’s big news story or a meetup at a coffee shop. Furthermore, TBD.com gives me the opportunity to get involved in the news process — by simply retweeting a story I’m interested in or by submitting photos and other news tips on developing stories.

I’ve mentioned before that, in some fashion, the future of news is hyperlocal and personalized. A successful news site has to be able to cater to my area and my interests, while doing the same for others. While the system isn’t perfect (yet), TBD.com does that. And it delivers all that content for all communities it covers in large part because of its ever-expanding blog network, which consists of blogs on dining, style, entertainment, politics and more. I now have a true one-stop shop in navigating the DC writers and content builders that also serve as community members in a sprawling metro.

Obviously, as TBD mentions itself, there are bugs to smooth over. And there are plenty of new ideas to be implemented in the coming weeks, even months. As TBD.com editor Erik Wemple puts it, the site’s development is “always uncertain, forever under construction.” Believe it or not, that’s a great philosophy to have in the online world. If you’re going to keep up, you’re going to need to evaluate the performance of your site quite regularly.

So what does this mean for the future of news? Really, this is one interpretation of the optimal news site (although it’s still developing). If news is going to be hyperlocal and personalized, it can’t have one model for all communities — what works for TBD.com might not work in other areas. But I think the concepts TBD.com is employing are concepts that need to be implemented in all news sites if those sites want to stay relevant, or become relevant again. What these guys did was start from the ground up in building this news platform. Sound familiar?

At this point, I wish TBD.com luck in the future, and I will definitely follow its growth, particularly to the mobile realm. Today is a wonderful start, and only makes me even more excited about what’s to come in journalism.

Other reading on TBD.com

• Mashable community manager Vadim Lavrusik does a great job describing TBD.com and its community-driven approach to news gathering.
• Things that Suzanne Yada loves, along with a few things she doesn’t, about TBD.com.
• A story from the Washington Post on TBD.com. Notice the skeptical tone — it mentions the site is entering a “crowded” news landscape already.
• Jeff Jarvis welcomes TBD.com. Short, but well written.

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The job search is over: I’m off to the Valley of the Sun

Well, the next chapter in my life is finally turning.

I remember thinking back to the night the calendar switched to 2010. I knew it was going to be a big year — I just didn’t know how yet. I was heading into my final semester at Central Michigan University. Everything beyond that was a blank sketch. I had no idea what I would be doing or where I would end up by the time 2011 rolled around — only that I’d be working my first job in journalism, hopefully online.

That was so exciting to think about but, in a way, it’s also a little scary. I had a feeling my time in Michigan was limited, based on the job outlook. That would mean spending time away from my friends and family, who I have an amazing relationship with. That would mean spending time away from the Great Lakes, the family lakehouse near Clare, the places I shared great memories with back home in Saginaw. I’ve spent all 23.5 years of my life in this state.

That’s going to change once September rolls around.

On Wednesday afternoon, I officially accepted a job as online sports producer of the Arizona Republic. Or, in the words of LeBron James, “I’m taking my talents to the Valley of the Sun.” I’ll be starting sometime in September.

For me, this is an unbelievably exciting opportunity for an entry-level job. I’ve loved sports my entire life, and online journalism has been, by far, my largest passion the past year-and-a-half. I get to work for a news organization which, in my opinion, is ahead of the curve in online journalism, and I get to follow Arizona sports, which I already follow anyway, particularly the Suns. This also is an opportunity for me to live out West for the first time, which I’ve always thought about doing at least once in my life. It’s a great chance to gain a new perspective, even if I am still in the United States.

It seems like I have a million people to thank for this. Everyone I’ve ever worked for and with at Central Michigan Life, especially my adviser, Neil Hopp, for building me as a journalist, setting the course for my career and — most of all — being such great friends. Those of you I’ve met at CoPress or on Twitter, for networking with me, helping me with occasional questions/ideas and engaging on journalism. The Grand Rapids Press, for being so supportive throughout both my internships and working with me to maximize my experience there. Most of all, my friends and family, for being downright amazing people. I would never be where I’m at today without any of you.

And so, for these last six weeks or so, I’m going to finish up in Grand Rapids, make all the arrangements needed for the move to the Phoenix area and, of course, say goodbye to everyone in Michigan. That won’t be easy, but it’s something I have to do — for now.

See you on the other side!

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Three things I dare journalism students to do before they graduate

I’ve always thought that if journalism was going to truly move forward, it’s going to have to start again from the ground up. That includes thinking differently about journalism education. After all, that’s where it all begins!

And if there really was a time for a journalism student to make their college experience their own, this is it.

Let’s face it: Many journalism schools are suffering. Whether it’s because of dwindling funds, professor turnover as rapid as student turnover or a refusal to teach new media techniques, students just aren’t getting as much out of their traditional education as they used to. That’s why it’s so important for a handful to take the leap forward. That means taking initiative and becoming the journalist of the future — and it doesn’t matter where you’re going to college.

That leads me to the topic of this post. I was thinking earlier about advice I would give college students after giving Suzanne Yada’s advice a full read (which, by the way, you really need to read if you’re still in school). I’ve already done a similar post for those working in the college newsroom. But what bold, daring things could students try before they graduated? What could they do to optimize their education?

Here are three ideas I came up with:

1. Propose major curriculum adjustments to your journalism school — and get support

This sounds like a bold statement. I meant for it to be. Journalism needs bold people to light the fire behind it. Journalism schools need the same thing.

I know what you’re thinking: The j-school heads aren’t going to listen. They’ll be polite, say “Thank you,” but effectively throw your ideas into the trash. Try countering that by forming a proposal so compelling, they have to listen.

Do research on what some other, better j-schools are doing with their curriculum, as well as some of the skills and techniques that are needed for online media jobs. If your school isn’t teaching it, tell them they should be. Provide proof with job descriptions and interviews with media professionals. Earn support from your peers and perhaps a right-minded professor or two. Chances are, your j-school doesn’t need to be gutted for it to be effective, but it does need to teach things that might apply when you’re looking for a job in 2020. That includes InDesign, Photoshop, Final Cut, iMovie, basic web coding, CMS’s and current social media platforms.

Some of my own thoughts: I’m sick of seeing online media as an option, or a track, in the journalism degree. Online media should be a requirement. Media law should still be a class, but it also should be taught to various degrees in other classes. Social media should be taught, but as a universal topic (because who knows what we’ll be using 3-4 years down the road). Experience at a student newspaper or internship should count as credit.

The one obvious caveat to adjusting a j-school curriculum: Can your professors teach it? Here’s a horror story — a professor at my j-school had to learn Final Cut the night before teaching it to her online journalism class. That, to me, is unacceptable. I expect my professor to know online media if they’re going to lecture/teach students about it. Make sure your j-school is evaluating your professors on a semester basis. You could even form a student committee that serves as a watchdog, rates professors and informs the department of various issues.

2. Form a news startup online and compete with the student newspaper

Even if your student newspaper has been around 100 years, is a perennial award-winner and knows what it’s doing online, consider challenging it as a news source in the community. Seriously.

Take the Onward State, for example. It is a student-run startup that serves as an alternative to the Daily Collegian at Penn State University. It runs the way an online news site should — it links, it crowdsources, and it is open. This site is practically run from dorm rooms, yet it’s doing a sufficient job in competing with a 112-year old student publication by employing strong online and social media practices.

Is there a risk in doing this? In one sense, absolutely — you won’t get paid much, if at all; you have to convince other journalism students to collaborate for little to no pay; there’s a lot of extra work in building the site, advertising it and building its reputation from the ground up; the list goes on. But in another sense, there really isn’t much risk if you put your mind to it. The pay isn’t in money, but in education and experience. Journalism needs leaders — bold people willing to think differently and take risks.

Another benefit of forming a competing news startup: Challenging the student newspaper to do better. Many of them compete with other student newspapers around the state/country for awards, but the real competition they need is in covering the university and the community. If your startup can make them think differently and evolve, then your entire j-school wins and your community wins (because they’re better informed and involved, of course!).

3. Form a network of students that meets regularly to discuss readings and projects

This one isn’t quite as bold as the previous two, but could actually be more beneficial in the long run. This is a great way of building your own education and making something of your valuable time in college.

It’s simple: Get a group of awesome young journalists together (and maybe a professor or two, if you’re so inclined) and think of a good time during the week where everyone can spend one to two hours in a room together. There are a lot of things you can do in this allotted time:

• Brainstorm ideas.
• Have everyone buy one book at the beginning of the semester, read it and discuss it every week. One good example includes Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age by Clay Shirky. Talk about what you learned from the book and how concepts can be applied to experience in journalism.
• Have “project days,” where everyone brings in a project they’re working on, either for a class, work or for the hell of it. Everyone else provides constructive critique and feedback.
• Brainstorm.
• Invite media professionals to visit, either in person or via teleconference, and engage with the students.
• Set up one challenge for every person to accomplish each week. This can include going on a multimedia assignment, trying one new social media tool or coming up with one killer idea on how to empower a student news organization. Perhaps set up a rewards system to keep people motivated week after week.
• Brainstorm. Brainstorm. Brainstorm!

The idea of this “student network” is to create your own education. It’s like having a class — a fun one, at that — without paying a cent of tuition or taking a single exam. It’s a way to make good friends with other passionate journalists, a way to meet media professionals and network, a way to try new things and read new perspectives and, most importantly, a way to become a better journalist.

It all starts there

The easy part is coming up with the idea. The hard part is executing it.

My hope is current students take this sort of advice (along with Yada’s) to heart and do their best to make the most of their pre-professional experience. This industry needs more bold thinkers and innovators, and it really does start from the ground up. In school.

Feel free to comment: What would you dare students to do before they graduate? What other thoughts do you have about making journalism education better?

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With LeBron James’ ESPN special, the line between sports journalism and sensationalism continues to blur (UPDATED)

An interesting development took place while I was at work Tuesday night — although not all that surprising.

A story broke on ESPN regarding NBA superstar LeBron James’ next move, which has been the big summer sports story outside of the World Cup. He plans to make his decision Thursday night. But, being LeBron, he wants to do it with the cameras on him and everybody watching a one-hour special starting at 9 p.m. on — you guessed it — ESPN. All the network had planned that Thursday night was “World Cup Premiere.”

Before I get into the ethical bag of snakes ESPN jumped into with this story, it’s important to note just how big of a circus this NBA free agency period has become. This annual routine is dominating the airwaves and television screens this year. Every day, we’re hearing about and watching what James and other free agents such as Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are up to, whether they’re participating in kids camps or meeting with other players. Normally, these acts wouldn’t warrant publicity. But we invade their daily lives because everyone wants to know: Where are these guys going to play basketball? Journalists huddle up and ask these questions at these camps and other places like they’re going to get the answers they’d like to hear. (They won’t. These athletes will do it their way.)

Is all this hoopla for good reason? Sure — people want to hear about it. But this LeBron “special” goes to show how sensationalized (some) sports journalism has become. And ESPN is to blame for a lot of it.

Look — on one hand, I like ESPN. I do watch it on occasion, particularly SportsCenter, Baseball Tonight and Pardon the Interruption. The coverage is good, although the analysis goes overboard a lot (no, Joe Theismann, you don’t know what the players and coaches on the football field are thinking right now). Its reporters work constantly and have deep connections, usually breaking stories before local competitors. It has its own pointless awards ceremony. The Web presentation is top-notch, too — there are videos galore, aggregated stories and a deep, organized database of statistics and standings. You know, things many newspapers sports sections should be doing online, but aren’t.

But then there’s the other hand. ESPN dominates the sports journalism world, partially by partaking in shady journalistic tactics. It breaks the big story first by constantly allowing sources to be anonymous, a practice scorned upon in most cases (and for good reason) at many newspapers. Remember college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit’s report on LSU coach Les Miles heading to Michigan in 2007? His top-secret and supposedly reliable “sources” were wrong. Most news outlets would take a hit in credibility but, with how large of a brand ESPN was and still is, there was little risk involved.

Even if a story breaks in the Kansas City Star dealing with the Chiefs, you can bet ESPN will report it. And even if they attribute credit (which they sometimes do), they get the clicks. They get the attention, or at least most of it. They have the trusted “experts” that analyze the story and the big picture. And every story they report or speculate on builds their brand a little bit more with the millions that follow the network. As of late, ESPN is spreading its coverage by city, reaching five thus far: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Boston. This local approach is targeting newspapers such as the Boston Globe and Chicago Tribune directly — and probably winning.

I have always thought ESPN’s goal of a sports coverage monopoly has overall deteriorated the quality of said coverage. There’s no transparency. There’s little accountability. It needs competition to stay on its toes. But not only has ESPN stomped the competition in reporting sports news (partially by guaranteeing anonymity to those who give the scoop), they also have locked-in deals with NBA, NFL and MLB to air their games. That makes its reporting even more ethically dubious. For example, wouldn’t it be in ESPN’s best interest to report a story that could ramp up the anticipation for the next Monday Night Football game and drive in higher ratings? Wouldn’t it be great to fish for bulletin-board material from a player prior to an NBA Finals game, then sensationalize it just to add to the excitement?

(For the record, I’m not accusing any specific ESPN reporters of doing any of this. But there is an obvious conflict of interest that can’t be ignored. This may not be as sensitive as government reporting, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t hold sports writing to the same journalistic standard.)

This brings me back to Thursday’s LeBron “special.” Apparently, LeBron’s camp wants to sell the sponsorship for the big event, with proceeds going toward the Boys and Girls Club of America. So that makes the announcement a little less sleazy. But think about this glaring issue: What if an ESPN reporter finds out, from a very reliable source, where LeBron is going prior to 9 p.m. Thursday night? Wouldn’t it be in their best interest to censor that scoop to ramp up ratings for Thursday night — or report it in fear of having it broken by another news source and rendering the special useless?

Not only is ESPN feeding the beast that is LeBron’s ego (and, yet again, catering to big-name athletes), it is putting itself in what could potentially be a disastrous situation that, in my opinion, breaks the journalistic code of ethics. All for television ratings, branding and advertising. But you know what? ESPN will get away with that. The line between quality sports journalism and entertainment has blurred for this company — and, in my view, we’re all paying for it.

UPDATE: JULY 12, 2010

Just a quick take on Thursday’s program, which I was able to watch at the Press:

“The Decision” was just about what I expected it to be. I didn’t expect LeBron’s actual decision to come within the first 10-15 minutes like ESPN said it would (It actually took roughly 27). I didn’t expect Jim Gray to ask any tough questions prior to the big one (”Are you still a nailbiter?” was a favorite cupcake of mine). I fully expected to feel like I just wasted 60 minutes of my life watching something that makes reality television look valuable (I was at work, it was on TV and, let’s face it, it was still the sports news of the night). Like Mitch Albom, I found it particularly interesting that there were children on hand to watch, as if this one-hour special was going to be something for them to remember for a long time.

Maybe I’m just somebody whose BS detector is fine-tuned after five years of journalism school, but I definitely heard ringing. From LeBron and from ESPN. Or, as Buzz Bissinger call it, “BSPN.”

Hopefully I’m not coming off as too much of a pessimist. There was some good that came out of this whole ordeal. I particularly loved the reporting of the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Brian Windhorst. While analysts around the county spouted off with speculation on what LeBron was thinking, Windhorst was doing the legwork. He caught the scoop from the teams’ visits, kept up on the latest using Twitter and — my favorite part — pieced the saga together following LeBron’s departure. Journalism at its finest always answers “Why?” Windhorst did that. And it’s not over yet.

Here are other reads related to ESPN’s “Decision” special:

• Richard Deitsch (Sports Illustrated) said he “gained a new respect for TV’s Amish in the City and Temptation Island” after watching the special.
• An advertising campaign that starts this week for ESPN has nothing to do with the Decision, The New York Times reports.
• LeBron’s big decision was “must-flee TV,” Arizona Republic’s Paola Boivin says.
• Something interesting to point out: ESPN’s Ombudsman, Don Ohlmeyer, has not yet written about The Decision, although that could change this week. We’ll see.

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The ups and downs of geolocation tools, and what we can learn from them

It seems many people are looking toward geolocation as the future of social media — that is, if it isn’t already “here” now.

The evolution of online networking has taken big steps the past few years. We’ve already nailed down connecting with friends and family (MySpace, then Facebook). We then nailed down connecting with random people and professional types (Twitter). Now we’re in the business of showing people where we’re at and where we’ve been (Foursquare, Gowalla, BrightKite, etc.). Twitter allows us to do this, and Facebook will, too.

Many people I’ve talked to think these geolocation apps are gimmicks — games that some people, especially social media hounds, will drool over, while others will stay content chatting on Facebook and Twitter. Fair enough. But like it or not, there are benefits of geolocation to journalists — although not without ethical and safety issues.

Developing technology

This past #wjchat, on Wednesday, was one of the better ones in terms of covering an issue from every aspect. The guest was Chad Graham, social media editor at azcentral.com (Arizona Republic), and the topic was exactly this: Geolocation. What are its benefits? How can journalists use it? What ethical issues surface from its use?

The reason why, in the first line of this post, I said if it isn’t already “here” now, is because in one sense, geolocation isn’t really “here.” Few people are using it right now outside of tech-savvy, public relations types and social media enthusiasts. Why? Besides the fact that this concept is still quite young, it doesn’t present the wide array of benefits that Twitter and Facebook did when they came along. Apps such as Foursquare can certainly connect you to people based on location, but most people ask, “Why should I make this effort to ‘check in’ to places?”

That’s a good question. Foursquare answers with the mayor label and an array of badges. Incentives (More on this later). So in a sense, geolocation is still developing, and it’s only going to go as far as its popularity. Unless people are given a reason to use this technology now, it’s going to grow slower than the wildfire growth we saw with Twitter and Facebook.

That isn’t to say geolocation will never fully catch on. It is right now, among a few demographics. And it is giving journalists another element to work with when covering stories.

Geojournalism

Graham pointed out several benefits of geolocation Wednesday, including an example on how a tourism reporter can use it. In essence, it allows journalists to easily find people who frequent certain places without having to perform trial-and-error on location.

Another great use of geolocation: Building your brand. Some news organizations, including the Grand Rapids Press (where I currently work), are working to geotag stories with locations, perhaps as “tips.” Therefore, when people are using Foursquare and are looking up places to eat, drink, dance, lay on the beach, etc., they will find written stories (or, even better, summaries with links) about those places. Foursquare organizes tips based on your proximity, so getting as many stories filed onto this tool (and hopefully linked to), the better.

What parts of the newsroom benefit most from geolocation? In my opinion, it’s cops and courts. The most underused element of any news site is the police log. One of the new features of Central Michigan Life’s Web site when it debuted last August (I was editor in chief at the time) was a Google Map embedded into a page that marked critical arrests and incidents based on data from several police departments. This is, by far, the greatest way to present police data to readers, especially if it can be mobilized and track recent crimes based on where the user is at. How many news organizations are still not utilizing this is beyond me.

The Mashable story I linked to above provides more ways of using Foursquare as a journalistic tool. You can use it to source information from tips, crowdsource news w/ badges, etc.

The “dark side” of geolocation

As to be expected, however, there are several ethical and safety concerns that arise when dealing with, you know, showing people where they’re at and when.

A PCWorld story I read recently gave some great reasons what companies can do with your data. The biggest concern? Having Foursquare bought out by another company and having the privacy policy you originally agreed to get thrown out the window. “Imagine the wealth of location data available to legal authorities now,” Dan Tynan writes.

The other great concern, obviously, is safety. Graham pointed out during #wjchat that safety comes first. I completely agree. Geolocation is not enough of a necessity in journalism, and is not recommended for people, including journalists, when there is a concern of safety. One way you can reduce the risk of stalking is by “checking in” to places right before you leave, but the obvious remedy is not using geolocation altogether. People choose to share location-based information, after all.

As for an ethical issue, here’s one, via Graham: Would reporters checking in to places be seen as an endorsement? A former colleague of mine, Chad Livengood, a reporter now with the News Journal in Wilmington, De., addressed a similar issue — “liking” pages on Facebook — by writing this:

NOTE: Because I am a political reporter, I sometimes will become a “fan” of a certain politician, just to see what he/she is writing to constituents and voters. In no way does it mean that I endorse or support any politician or public official. It also does NOT mean I am necessarily a “fan” of them — or vice-versa.

Perhaps a note such as this would quell that issue on Foursquare? It’s an interesting dynamic, for sure. Feel free to comment if you have a take on the matter.

Conclusion

Like it or not, geolocation is going to play a part in the future of social media and journalism. The future of news is hyperlocal and personalized, both of which geolocation plays a part in. Whether apps such as Foursquare or something down the road catch on like wildfire or not, we need to acknowledge that proximity plays a factor in news and what’s going on around you. It always has, in some sense.

There are other little things we can learn from these tools, too. For example, Foursquare’s incentives idea (mayors, badges) should be applied to other areas, such as comments sections (I’ve talked about this before, with Huffington Post’s use of it). It’s a great way to get people a little more motivated to participate in conversation, and it also can allow people to self-moderate the comments area for you.

My hope is that every news organization is experimenting with geolocation and, if it isn’t, it should start as soon as possible if it wants to remain relevant among its readership. After all, if you’re not trying new technologies and staying ahead of the game, you’re falling behind and quickly losing relevance. Just be wary of the safety and ethical implications that arise with this new technology.

One final thought, thanks to Dorrine Mendoza, online content producer for North County Times: Geolocation tools are “like finding a $5 bill, you get unexpected rewards.”

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Michigan news media aggregating an unlikely earthquake

A little before 2 p.m. today, an earthquake (epicenter near Ottawa and Montreal) seemed to shake Michigan, mostly the eastern side of the state. That’s where I happen to be right now, visiting family.

I didn’t feel it, probably because I was driving home when it supposedly happened but, as soon as I read about it on Twitter, I looked for more information.

Here are some of the things I found, mainly from Michigan media, within a span of 40 minutes following the tremors:

• AnnArbor.com was among the first on it. Along with updates on its Twitter, it posted a story and a map of the epicenter, but also incorporated a Twitter feed searching for “earthquake.” That’s a great way to centralize content and conversation on its site.
• The Detroit News Twitter account started simply with this: “Did anyone else feel that?” It would be retweeted nine times (as of me writing this post). However, its site update doesn’t link. (At least not as of 3:07 p.m.)
• MLive.com, initiated by the Grand Rapids Press, posted a story with a lot of aggregation. One of my first thoughts following the quake: Does that happen a lot in Michigan? They were right on top of it with a link. (Michigan’s earthquake history here, thanks to a good friend of mine, Justin Engel)
• The Detroit Free Press had a story online with some aggregation at 2:07 p.m. It would later update on Twitter and Facebook, asking followers what they felt.
• The Globe and Mail in Toronto is all over it, too. There’s a story, a Twitter feed, a live blog and even a Google Map with the epicenter marked. (Have I ever mentioned that Google Maps is still one of the most underused widgets on news sites?)
  
  My favorite part: in the live blog, someone posted a video in the aftermath of the quake, from Ottawa. That happens when you build a strong community around you.

Overall, despite the earthquake being such an unexpected event, it’s nice to see a lot of media around me pick up the story, run with it and think of other ways to incorporate reader discussion. We might forget about this quake a month from now (assuming nothing else happens), but the important thing is readers were talking about it. And they probably will throughout the rest of the day. Progress!

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Five things (some) news websites are doing right

We’re obviously not there yet when it comes to perfecting the online news site. And there’s probably a different answer for every community and every audience. But from reading and seeing the online presentations of multiple sites for the past few years, I can safely say a lot of newspapers are making strides in certain areas.

Some are doing really well with managing a comments area, while others are just doing well with organizing their home pages. Others are trying new things and experimenting with layout (which is great to see!). Here are some of my favorite developments, although this is by no means comprehensive:

1. A “hanging” interactive menu with each story

When I go to a news website, I don’t want to scroll too much to find & do what I want. I also don’t want to look everywhere to find functions/features/etc. So if I’m a news site, I want to try and make the reader’s experience as convenient as possible. (This is going to come up at least a couple more times in this blog post.)

Some sites are experimenting with a menu that hangs on the screen as you scroll through a story. Most people recognize it on Mashable. But some newspaper sites are doing it, too — The Daily Chronicle in Illinois has one that hangs on the bottom of the screen, complete with options to view/add comments, share the story and even hide the bar if you find it annoying. No matter where you’re at on that page, that menu will be there.

Not only is it convenient for readers, but it also cleans the page from extra clutter (normally, the share/print/comment options are found under the headline, the byline or the story). Simple is better!

2. Heavy social media interaction

Key word here is “interaction.” I’ve mentioned this at least once before: Newspapers need to stop treating their Twitter accounts like RSS feeds. If people want all headlines, they’ll subscribe to your feed or go to your website. Twitter is a networking tool — use it to connect with your audience!

One great example of a site bucking the headline trend: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution routinely interacts with followers by answering their questions, retweeting and providing breaking updates from even sports. Furthermore, the AJC offers plenty of other accounts to follow on its website.

Another good example of a news site using Twitter to its advantage: The Florida Times-Union (JaxDotCom). It’s fine to mix in headlines and breaking updates on Twitter, but it’s also important to listen to your followers and talk with them. It’s really the 2010 way of answering your phone at work.

Facebook: This is another social media site many newspapers are struggling to maximize. But I like what The Arizona Republic (azcentral.com) is doing with its Facebook page. There are plenty of headlines and topics to go around, but also contests and promotions that provide for a huge boost in fans. Readers eat those up!

3. A rewards system in reader comments

This is one of my favorite developments. Very few news sites are doing this but, when executed right, a rewards system on a site’s comments section is an excellent way to liven up the conversation, keep people talking (and in a generally civil way, too) and, most importantly, keep your site from becoming a “comment ghetto.”

The Huffington Post has a prime example of a well developed comments area. Readers can earn badges for frequently commenting on stories and engaging with others (see right). Badges also can be upgraded via levels. This is very similar to how Foursquare rewards its users when they check in frequently. It’s all about giving little incentives!

What I really love, though, is the moderator badge. Don’t have the manpower in your news organization to monitor comments? Outsource that duty to your readers. The Huffington Post explains in their FAQ:

If you’ve flagged at least 20 comments that we ended up deleting and have a high ratio of good flags to mistaken flags, we’ll award you with a Level 1 Moderator Badge and enhance your flags so that they have five times more influence. If you’ve flagged at least 100 comments that we deleted and have a very high ratio of good flags to mistaken flags, we make you a Level 2 Moderator, upgrade your Badge, and trust you to delete inappropriate comments on the site. We will continue to trust you to delete inappropriate comments from the site as long as you handle the task responsibly. If you’re like many users, you’ll want to step up your flagging game and become one of our most trusted users.

This all falls under the idea that a well developed community can monitor itself. And it can. You just have to pull the right strings.

(Note: Yes, I still hold to my opinion that anonymity is not the answer to fixing news site comments. This is just one of the better solutions to fixing comment ghettos.)

4. Home page personalization

The future of news is personalized. It’s hyperlocal. And often, nowadays, when you log into a news site, you have to get around the stories you don’t care about to find the ones that do matter to you. As I mentioned earlier, it’s all about convenience — and personalizing your news experience is a part of that.

We have a long ways to go in this department. But there are still some sites making strides. My first experience with news personalization was with ESPN, when they implemented MyESPN to allow you to track your favorite teams, leagues, players and columnists along the right column (although that column is not there anymore). News sites have rarely ventured into personalization, but the Orange County Register allows you to organize your home page by ordering the categories on the right side of the page (see the image).While this is a primative example of true personalization, it’s a step in the right direction.

One more example of personalizing news, albeit it’s not on the home page (yet): The Grand Rapids Press offers its hyperlocal coverage, “Ada to Zeeland,” via an interactive map. (Disclosure: I am an intern for The Press)

5. Landing pages for extensive content

I’ve been over this one, too (see #3 in the link). When hot topics come up in the community, it’s extremely convenient to have a one-stop shop for all the coverage, whether it be news stories, multimedia or even reader interaction, where everything is neatly organized and summarized. That was one thing we did well at Central Michigan Life while I was editor — two of our landing pages included the tailgating controversy at CMU and also the budget situation.

I have always been a big fan of the Spokesman-Review website. Not only is it one of the cleanest sites out there, but it is so unique in how content is organized. You can easily search by time, place, and topic, and you can also see the hot topics through the “Quick Links” navigation bar. Take a look at how some of these landing pages are designed (for example, Mount St. Helens). They should never look like a list of tagged stories.

Another recent example of a hot topic page: The Washington Post and its Stephen Strasburg page. Although it’d be much nicer if the URL was simplified (i.e. washingtonpost.com/strasburg).

Other good reads from the week so far:

• Why link out? Four journalistic purposes of the noble hyperlink. A good summary of the value of the link, especially in journalism. As Jeff Jarvis says, “Do what you do best, and link to the rest.” (NOTE: Here’s another read fron Nieman Lab on the maximizing the value of the link.)
• Bloggers: 7 questions to ask before hitting publish. Sometimes, it’s easy to lose perspective when writing. Use these tips to keep you in line.
• The best journalism you’ll see today: “Prison Valley”. Actually from last week, but I loved it so much, I thought I’d link it again. Not only does this project involve stellar video and photo work, but it’s interactive: You can navigate your way through the story. Amazing work.

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