Comments on: News Innovators on the Frontline: WestSeattleBlog http://newsinnovation.com/2009/07/03/news-innovators-on-the-frontline-westseattleblog-com/ Discussing the future of news Sun, 04 Dec 2011 16:50:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: The Oregonian News Network presents an afternoon with West Seattle Blog’s Tracy Record | Digital Journalism Portland http://newsinnovation.com/2009/07/03/news-innovators-on-the-frontline-westseattleblog-com/#comment-1643 The Oregonian News Network presents an afternoon with West Seattle Blog’s Tracy Record | Digital Journalism Portland Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:53:15 +0000 http://newsinnovation.com/?p=1201#comment-1643 [...] News Network is kicking off a new event series on Saturday November 19th, with a Q&A with acclaimed hyperlocal publisher/reporter Tracy Record of WestSeattleBlog. [...] [...] News Network is kicking off a new event series on Saturday November 19th, with a Q&A with acclaimed hyperlocal publisher/reporter Tracy Record of WestSeattleBlog. [...]

]]> By: Brad http://newsinnovation.com/2009/07/03/news-innovators-on-the-frontline-westseattleblog-com/#comment-374 Brad Tue, 13 Apr 2010 17:05:49 +0000 http://newsinnovation.com/?p=1201#comment-374 As a Seattle area graphic designer, I'll second the comment about it being nice to be willing to pay people who help you out. As a Seattle area graphic designer, I’ll second the comment about it being nice to be willing to pay people who help you out.

]]> By: The Models: Hyperlocal Revenues | News Innovation http://newsinnovation.com/2009/07/03/news-innovators-on-the-frontline-westseattleblog-com/#comment-373 The Models: Hyperlocal Revenues | News Innovation Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:22:35 +0000 http://newsinnovation.com/?p=1201#comment-373 [...] that total staffing costs will also increase. Consider that hyperlocal blogs like Baristanet and West Seattle Blog are coming close to those figures without optimization and efficiencies we believe ad networks and [...] [...] that total staffing costs will also increase. Consider that hyperlocal blogs like Baristanet and West Seattle Blog are coming close to those figures without optimization and efficiencies we believe ad networks and [...]

]]> By: News Innovators on the Frontline: Pegasus News | News Innovation http://newsinnovation.com/2009/07/03/news-innovators-on-the-frontline-westseattleblog-com/#comment-372 News Innovators on the Frontline: Pegasus News | News Innovation Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:14:02 +0000 http://newsinnovation.com/?p=1201#comment-372 [...] are not covering any one neighborhood at near the level of specificity that say a West Seattle Blog is. Though, there are some niches in those areas that we probably cover in that [...] [...] are not covering any one neighborhood at near the level of specificity that say a West Seattle Blog is. Though, there are some niches in those areas that we probably cover in that [...]

]]> By: Dave Chase http://newsinnovation.com/2009/07/03/news-innovators-on-the-frontline-westseattleblog-com/#comment-371 Dave Chase Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:24:44 +0000 http://newsinnovation.com/?p=1201#comment-371 Congrats to the West Seattle Blog for their successes! It's great to read these sorts of positive profiles amidst the drumbeat of doom and gloom. I own/run a hyperlocal site and my consulting firm also has worked with one of the leading self-serve technology companies. While I can't share any specifics about that consulting work, I have a couple main takeaways... 1. Like many things in technology, self-serve ads in the local space is overestimated in the short-term and underestimated in the long-term. I've dealt with tons of small biz and most are still several steps away from being comfortable with online ads let alone self serve. 2. The "bridge" I see being viable for "self serve" is what I call the "publisher assist model" where the self serve tools are used by the publisher to enable ads more cheaply so they can serve small advertisers. That will work. Dave Chase SunValleyOnline.com Publisher Congrats to the West Seattle Blog for their successes! It’s great to read these sorts of positive profiles amidst the drumbeat of doom and gloom.

I own/run a hyperlocal site and my consulting firm also has worked with one of the leading self-serve technology companies. While I can’t share any specifics about that consulting work, I have a couple main takeaways…
1. Like many things in technology, self-serve ads in the local space is overestimated in the short-term and underestimated in the long-term. I’ve dealt with tons of small biz and most are still several steps away from being comfortable with online ads let alone self serve.
2. The “bridge” I see being viable for “self serve” is what I call the “publisher assist model” where the self serve tools are used by the publisher to enable ads more cheaply so they can serve small advertisers. That will work.

Dave Chase
SunValleyOnline.com Publisher

]]> By: cornelius http://newsinnovation.com/2009/07/03/news-innovators-on-the-frontline-westseattleblog-com/#comment-370 cornelius Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:41:16 +0000 http://newsinnovation.com/?p=1201#comment-370 That's very interesting, thanks for sharing your story guys. I run a community newspaper which covers North and Northeast Portland Ore. We have a fairly robust web service for a community monthly. It's like running two news operations though. I've seen a lot of small news models in both web and print here in Portland. I find often these operations are family run; that is a married couple divide up the work. It's often true of small business in general that a business requires more than one person to operate but the profits are too small to support two people- unless those people are sharing their own personal expenses. Good luck and congrats! That’s very interesting, thanks for sharing your story guys. I run a community newspaper which covers North and Northeast Portland Ore. We have a fairly robust web service for a community monthly. It’s like running two news operations though. I’ve seen a lot of small news models in both web and print here in Portland. I find often these operations are family run; that is a married couple divide up the work. It’s often true of small business in general that a business requires more than one person to operate but the profits are too small to support two people- unless those people are sharing their own personal expenses. Good luck and congrats!

]]> By: Justin Carder, Neighborlogs http://newsinnovation.com/2009/07/03/news-innovators-on-the-frontline-westseattleblog-com/#comment-369 Justin Carder, Neighborlogs Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:37:00 +0000 http://newsinnovation.com/?p=1201#comment-369 West Seattle Blog's business continues to be fascinating from all angles. Thanks for doing the interview, Tracy. So, about this self-serve advertising thing, don't paint the argument as self serve = no service, no communication, just clicking and credit cards, etc. We added self-serve features to the advertising system on our http://neighborlogs.com service to enable one-person operations to get and stay in the game. If only we could ship a Patrick with every site! But we'll be the first (or the second) to tell everybody that self-serve doesn't mean you just sit back, cover great news and collect checks. The relationship you are fostering at WSB also has to be created and maintained. Putting good tools in place can help that. BTW, I also know that your approach to service isn't technology free and that you guys are on the cutting edge of communication tools and more so I won't paint 'full service' as being anti-tech :) West Seattle Blog’s business continues to be fascinating from all angles. Thanks for doing the interview, Tracy.

So, about this self-serve advertising thing, don’t paint the argument as self serve = no service, no communication, just clicking and credit cards, etc. We added self-serve features to the advertising system on our http://neighborlogs.com service to enable one-person operations to get and stay in the game. If only we could ship a Patrick with every site! But we’ll be the first (or the second) to tell everybody that self-serve doesn’t mean you just sit back, cover great news and collect checks. The relationship you are fostering at WSB also has to be created and maintained. Putting good tools in place can help that.

BTW, I also know that your approach to service isn’t technology free and that you guys are on the cutting edge of communication tools and more so I won’t paint ‘full service’ as being anti-tech :)

]]> By: Lessons from SeattleCourant.com | News Innovation http://newsinnovation.com/2009/07/03/news-innovators-on-the-frontline-westseattleblog-com/#comment-368 Lessons from SeattleCourant.com | News Innovation Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:30:55 +0000 http://newsinnovation.com/?p=1201#comment-368 [...] tried to highlight some successful local news sites out there in recent weeks (and we’ll do more, so please take our survey!), [...] [...] tried to highlight some successful local news sites out there in recent weeks (and we’ll do more, so please take our survey!), [...]

]]> By: Some old-school ideas for renewing journalism « Ink-Drained Kvetch http://newsinnovation.com/2009/07/03/news-innovators-on-the-frontline-westseattleblog-com/#comment-367 Some old-school ideas for renewing journalism « Ink-Drained Kvetch Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:42:27 +0000 http://newsinnovation.com/?p=1201#comment-367 [...] Web site, the married couple that runs the West Seattle Blog offers a good example of what can be done in the genre, if you will. They support themselves and their teenagers on advertising revenue, but [...] [...] Web site, the married couple that runs the West Seattle Blog offers a good example of what can be done in the genre, if you will. They support themselves and their teenagers on advertising revenue, but [...]

]]> By: Local news takes hard-work and local peo… « Paul M. Watson http://newsinnovation.com/2009/07/03/news-innovators-on-the-frontline-westseattleblog-com/#comment-366 Local news takes hard-work and local peo… « Paul M. Watson Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:18:03 +0000 http://newsinnovation.com/?p=1201#comment-366 [...] 2:17 pm on July 8, 2009 Permalink | Reply Tags: media (48), web (518) Local news takes hard-work and local people. Not platforms, not remote media moguls and not geeks with turn-key tech (that would be me.) § [...] [...] 2:17 pm on July 8, 2009 Permalink | Reply Tags: media (48), web (518) Local news takes hard-work and local people. Not platforms, not remote media moguls and not geeks with turn-key tech (that would be me.) § [...]

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