the apocalypse is upon us, errr me

Bertol,

Make it work for you.

Your "random" choices could just happen to come from the Babes of Podunk calendar or maybe the local beer joint proprietor would like some pub and would be grateful.

Randomness doesn't have to be so random.

 

This reminds me of one of my old J-school professors, who told us that everyone has a story. And that's true, but it doesn't necessarily mean that it's a good story or one that anyone want's to hear, much less read.

 

It's a decent (if not terribly unique) idea, but it sounds like it's being pursued for the wrong reasons (people will read us if they know the person being written about!)

I discussed this with an aunt one time, who thought her small-town paper's sports section should focus on little league baseball and other kids sports. Big profiles on all the little kids. Not coincidentally, she knew some kids she wanted to read about. I asked her whether she'd read sports if the big feature was on some kid she didn't know. She wouldn't.

 

Without getting too Poynter about this, at a time of historic cutbacks in news-gathering resources that continue to compromise the role of the newspaper as watchdog, this idea makes little sense.

 

Thank you, thank you. You're a great audience. I'll be here all week.

 

This note is for the former editor at the Wichita Eagle:

For 25 years, BTK was just a phone call away.

 

The call is coming from inside the house!

 

If I had to do one of these, somehow my finger would "accidentally" find the local Mike Hunt, so at least the readers could have a good laugh while they read about some schlep they never gave a shit about to begin with.

 

This is by no means a new idea in newspapers, it's been done for some 30 or 40 years probably.

It's a great way to connect with your community and by no means replaces any hard-hitting stuff. It just gives people a chance to see who is in their community and to connect with each other.

Absolutely nothing wrong with it if you have the staff power to put into it.

And if you think there is, ask all the papers that are getting rave reviews for doing varying degrees of Citizen Journalism stuff.

 

Even better, have a "citizen journalist" do the random interview so they can more quickly connect with their community.

"Citizen journalist."

I think I'll become a "citizen brain surgeon."

 

ha ha. better yet, find the local "i.p. freely" ;D

 

Well put.