Archive by Author
The New Ad Network
Posted on 19. Aug, 2009 by Damian Ghigliotty.
Ad networks have come a long way from those annoying punch-the-monkey banners used to fill remnant ad space.
But while innovative networks like Glam Media are continually building new tools and services to connect online publishers with highly targeted ads for their audiences, the majority of them still focus on national advertising paired with the content [...]
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Community Training in the Ecosystem
Posted on 18. Aug, 2009 by Damian Ghigliotty.
One function that runs throughout the entire ecosystem is the role of community training — both in editorial coverage and ad sales.
The New News Organization plays an important role here as an outlet for experienced, professional journalists to train local bloggers and citizen journalists how to cover their communities with more depth, detail and accuracy. [...]
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Thank You and Keep ‘em Coming
Posted on 18. Aug, 2009 by Damian Ghigliotty.
So far we received a lot of interesting responses since the FOCAS conference kicked off yesterday and we look forward to reading more as we continue to break down our individual models.
This project is all about interactivity and we wouldn’t have moved past the theoretical phase without your input. That goes for our 113 survey [...]
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Hyperlocal Revenues, Yes, They’re High
Posted on 18. Aug, 2009 by Damian Ghigliotty.
The figures we used for our Hyperlocal model were based on three market sizes — small (20K), medium (35K), and large (60K) — supported by a broader Framework of local businesses and ad networks.
Yes, our work assumes that “in a metro market of 5 million people, the hyperlocal network will be able to get 1.75 [...]
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Staffing in the New News Organization
Posted on 17. Aug, 2009 by Damian Ghigliotty.
As a news business that performs several functions — metro-wide coverage, community training, business-to-business services — the New News Organization will have a small, but diversified staff of 40 in its first year, ramping up to 54 in its third year. Each staffer will gross an average salary of $78,000 a year, including a 25% [...]
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FOCAS: Live from Aspen
Posted on 17. Aug, 2009 by Damian Ghigliotty.
The CUNY New Business Models for News Project, funded by the Knight Foundation, is presenting its work at the Aspen Institute’s Forum on Communication and Society today. (You can read about our project here and dig into the new models here.)
Below is Jeff Jarvis’ presentation, which he made using new software from Prezi. Just click [...]
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News Innovators on the Frontline: San Diego News Network
Posted on 10. Aug, 2009 by Damian Ghigliotty.
When Neil Senturia and Barbara Bry launched San Diego News Network in March 2009, their vision was to create a nationwide news organization of local sites that could cover breaking news, politics, business, sports, lifestyle and entertainment in each respective city.
After watching the San Diego Union-Tribune shed nearly half its employees over the past two [...]
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YouTube Makes a Local TV News Play
Posted on 05. Aug, 2009 by Damian Ghigliotty.
YouTube has big designs to take on local news broadcasting, The New York Times reported earlier this week.
News Near You, which the Google-owned site introduced this spring, detects the location of its users and provides lists of geographically relevant news videos using the same IP technology as dating and weather sites.
YouTube’s strategy differs from the [...]
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Video Volunteers Brings Citizen Media to Disadvantaged Communities
Posted on 04. Aug, 2009 by Damian Ghigliotty.
Imagine if citizens in low-income neighborhoods around the U.S. were given the necessary cameras, software and training to make short videos about important issues in their communities. Say, cultural, socioeconomic and political issues not covered by their local newspapers or television networks.
That is what Jessica Mayberry, co-founder of the global social media network Video Volunteers, [...]
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News Innovators on the Frontline: The Arizona Guardian
Posted on 28. Jul, 2009 by Damian Ghigliotty.
Often, the slimmer the news organization the more dedicated its staff.
The Arizona Guardian, a subscription-based news site in Phoenix, covers state politics as closely as any of its competitors. Except the Guardian’s five partners manage everything from the site’s political coverage to its information technology and sales. Their initial funder and co-owner, Bob Grossfeld — [...]
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Chi-Town Daily Discloses Costs for Donations
Posted on 23. Jul, 2009 by Damian Ghigliotty.
The Chicago-based Chi-Town Daily News, a nonprofit metro news site that launched in December 2005, has set up a new kind of tip jar this month. As a way to pull in more funding, the site now tells readers the value of every article they read before requesting donations to support its ongoing coverage.
“Reader donations [...]
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ESPN Shoots for Hyperlocal
Posted on 20. Jul, 2009 by Damian Ghigliotty.
ESPN is extending its reach into hyperlocal sports coverage with plans to launch metro-based websites around the country, The New York Times reported today.
As part of a trial run that started with ESPN Chicago, the self-proclaimed “world leader in sports” is gearing up to add three new cities to its target list: New York, Los [...]
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News Innovators on the Frontline: Texas Watchdog
Posted on 17. Jul, 2009 by Damian Ghigliotty.
Two and half years ago, Trent Seibert, of Texas Watchdog, saw the potential for a local online investigative news outlet. Having worked in both journalism — at The Tennessean and The Denver Post – as well government accountability — at the Tennessee Center for Policy Research — Trent had all the right credentials.
Fortunately, a chance [...]
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A Budding Investigative News Network
Posted on 14. Jul, 2009 by Damian Ghigliotty.
Watchdog journalism has a viable future.
Twenty-five nonprofit news organizations recently came together to form the beginnings of an investigative news network to fill in the growing void left by newspapers.
Some of the budding network’s members include Bill Buzenberg, executive director of The Center for Public Integrity, and Leonard Downie, Jr., former executive editor of The [...]
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News Innovators on the Frontline: MGoBlog
Posted on 07. Jul, 2009 by Damian Ghigliotty.
Brian Cook — a longtime University of Michigan sports fan — runs MGoBlog.com as a solo operation and brings in enough money to keep his blog up to speed with the likes of freshman quarterback Denard Robinson. Brian launched his site in December 2004 and has watched its audience grow to 100,000 unique visitors to [...]
