A bit of perspective
I was part of a media panel at GTCC's President's Leadership Seminar this morning. I've always thought that GTCC is a hidden gem in Guilford County so I was happy to participate.
My part of the program was hardly worth remarking on. The most interesting section came when the 40 participants were asked to describe one defining media moment they had experienced in their lifetime. Many referred to watching national and international events unfold on television: JFK's funeral, Princess Di's death, the Oklahoma City bombing and, of course, 9/11.
But several people related intensely personal connections: one man singled out a newspaper story about his parent's 50th anniversary. Another cited a two- or three-paragraph story that inspired a career change. A third noted a classified ad that led him to a new job. Don Cameron, the president in question, brought down the house with his story. He was playing ball for Union Cross High School and his team won its first seven games. Then sports editor Smith Barrier of the Greensboro Daily News interviewed him about the team and his role. "We lost the next three games," Cameron said. That story caused -- forced? --him to go into education rather than professional sports.
No one mentioned politics, Terry Schiavo, local government affairs, college sports or any of those topics that we tend to talk about and worry over. Interesting.
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A new online/offline newspaper has been launched, and the news is worth watching. Following what the AP said the News & Record is doing, here is an update:
Morris Communications has begun publishing Bluffton Today, a tabloid newspaper tightly coordinated with a Web site, www.BlufftonToday.com.
The hyperlocal publication will be distributed free in the namesake South Carolina community of about 15,000 people. Every reader will be invited to log onto the Web site and comment about stories, as well as start their own blog, upload pictures and even contribute recipes.
"Newspapers have gone on the Web by putting yesterday's news online," said Steve Yelvington, manager, Web site development for Morris. "That's a one-way street. We are doing the opposite; Participation is right at the center of what we're doing."
He added: "www.BlufftonToday.com is a grand experiment in citizen journalism, a complete inversion of the typical 'online newspaper' model."
*****Readers' comments about stories will be edited and printed in the hard copy of the paper !!!!!! *****
Success will be easy to judge, according to Yelvington.
"People will be participating. The reality is people are doing this already, publishing their own Web sites and Web logs. The choice is not whether it will happen but whether we are going to participate in it."
Posted on April 6, 2005 11:33 AM