Out With A Bang

By accident or design, two of Norfolk’s finest new media sons – A Monck and S Richmond – both linked to posts that have a particular resonance with much of what we’ve thought and done here on OWAB.

Actually, that’s not quite right. That should read ‘what we’re thinking of doing here on OWAB…’

In fact by the end of the week, with a fair wind…

What’s is equally telling, given where we’ve been with Mr Fry of late, is that I picked up both links off their Twitter tweets.

Shane’s first, if only because it chimes more readily with S Fry’s Twitter kingdom.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/shane_richmond/blog/2008/12/01/stop_taking_the_social_out_of_social_media

It is, of course, a guest post by ex-BBC man Robin Hamman.

Several lines stand out as he wanders down the very same paths that The Guardian’s Ms Bell trod with her thoughts on the ‘Age of Participation’ and journalism needing to be seen as conversation… note this in talking about possible re-workings of the libel laws… that media might find itself “…pro-actively reviewing, participating in and guiding the online discussions they host..”

Which is, after all, all that Stephen Fry is doing; he’s guiding his audience to oscarwildeday – and all via one piece of kit, the # tag.

These two lines run on together, but hidden in their midst is not only this increasingly compelling need to engage with our audience; to physically get into the trenches alongside them, but also the whole Jeff Jarvis ‘do what you do best…’ school of thought. And then link to the rest…

Don’t try and be all things to all men; concentrate on what you do best – ie “compelling editorial propositions” [that's write in the case of Johnston Press, Archant, Trinity Mirror et al...] and, thereafter, link…

So in 2009 the challenge for media is to re-invent themselves in such a way that they are… “pro-actively seeking out, reflecting, and linking to the very best of audience comment, criticism and content.

“Next year, media companies will also need to get back to what they do best and concentrate on creating compelling editorial propositions rather than investing in ever more complex social software…”

Journalism as a conversation; a two-way interaction in which the reporter/writer/producer/ranconteur and wit actually meets and mingles with his/her audience and do what you do best, link to the rest…

Which brings us nicely onto Adrian’s link to the Huffington Post – as in doing Chicago…

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chicago/

That, too, is a block that we’ve been round before… http://outwithabang.rickwaghorn.co.uk/?p=92 … or maybe that should be an everyblock that we’ve been round before.

Without reaching for the nearest microscope and not really knowing one end of Chicago from another, I’m not in any great position to judge how far that drills down into ‘local’ Chicago; in the same way you wonder how far any Guardian cities proposition might drill down into ‘local’ Leicester.

But what is interesting is the panel that greets anyone who scrolls down a way; if anyone wants a link… there they all are… including of course, the EveryBlock Chicago.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chicago/#blog_links

It might not prove to be the future of local news, who knows? But all credit to the HuffPost people – they are actually big enough to recognise that they are not the only news show in town any more; that there are, actually, others out there… and by both recognising that simple fact and organising a links list on your home page, you are actually delivering your audience the kind of service that they are looking for…

Make my life easy; don’t try and kid me that you are the only people with both news and views in Illinois.

And in that there’s a big lesson for one or two over here to learn.

�