Comments on: How the Newspapers Can Stay Alive: Hire @Scobleizer

By: John Bredehoft

John Bredehoft — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:03:12 +0000

I got here from Steven Hodson's post. I think that part of the issue with traditional newspapers is that, because of their former technology, they still have a daily publication mindset. Even in the days when newspapers printed "extras," you still had a particular cycle. You're not going to change that for hardcopy publications, but perhaps the papers could adopt a two-tier content system, with a free tier offering breaking news 24/7, and a pay tier offering more in-depth analysis. This could be available on-line and in print, and can play to the journalists' strengths. John Bredehofts last blog post..Is smaller truly better?

By: All the tools are there for newspapers to save themselves — Shooting at Bubbles

All the tools are there for newspapers to save themselves — Shooting at Bubbles — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:30:11 +0000

[...] Michelle Greer might have being saying it with a little tongue in cheek when she suggested that to save themselves newspapers should hire Robert Scoble the point she was [...]

By: Michelle

Michelle — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:23:16 +0000

Adrian,

Did you read my comments to Brian? Because you can use social media to validate sources and do investigative journalism. Every source is a new source of information, and social media is full of sources.

Your filter point is noted though. Newspapers would have to hold back more than Scoble does.

By: adrian chan

adrian chan — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:00:44 +0000

Personally I need somebody to filter scoble (and a few others) for me so that I just get the high value stuff.

There’s a difference between journalism and breaking news; and a difference between reporting and distributing. True, social media collapses those distinctions to some degree. But for journalists to become news wires, and for their role to forego critical reflection in favor of speed and reach (scoble’s advantage) would be a tragic thing as far as I’m concerned.

But then I still read the New York Times in print ever day. Where I’ve yet to see a Scoble byline.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:05:06 +0000

Brian,

My mother taught journalism and I am well aware that breaking news is not always correct.

I also know that social media helps you get many perspectives of a story, and breaking news is not the only way it can be used.

I am not devaluing journalism at all. I am merely stating that journalists’ skills would be better harnessed if they were given the tools they needed to better research stories.

By: Kortbloggat/digitalpr.se-02 July 2009 | Niclas Strandh digitalPR

Kortbloggat/digitalpr.se-02 July 2009 | Niclas Strandh digitalPR — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:03:07 +0000

[...] How the Newspapers Can Stay Alive: Hire @Scobleizer [...]

By: Brian

Brian — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:11:46 +0000

Everyone agrees journalists should be inquisitive and open to new tools. I also think everyone agrees they should be integrating Twitter into their reporting. Nytimes did a nice job with this on the Iran story.

What I think is confusing/dangerous in your point is that a lot of news doesn’t just bubble up. Investigative journalism is hard. You don’t just stumble into breaking a government cover up, corporate malfeasance or a church sex scandal.

It’s easy to report an earthquake. Earthquakes don’t sue people. It’s hard to accuse someone of rape and then stand by it in court. That is why we need trained investigative journalists and not just aggregrators posting on Twitter/Blogs with the “FIRST!” comment to break a piece of news.