News-Record.com

What do you want to read about, other than the winners, when you get up Wednesday morning?

How about the start with Mitch Johnson's affidavit?

call the AP and find out from their REAL online people (not the state office) what kind of interactive electoral map you can embed in your site (or link to on the Custom Wire you pay thousands for)

think outside the box (shudder) and see if WRAL or WCNC will let you embed their video, which would give great live and wall-to-wall coverage of gov. and council of state races... you have little to lose since you don't compete. and if you can EMBED it you at least keep people on your site...

also, don't forget AP for video. they might do live video throughout the night. if not be sure to link up DIRECTLY relevant clips for the region (and presidential race). DON'T JUST SAY 'VIDEO HERE' AND SEND PEOPLE OFF INTO THE STRANGE AP VIDEO PLAYER WORLD

there is also a great free fully integrated chat tool that you can embed on your site. I forgot the vendor name, but Paul Crawford at Charleston's Post & Courier has used it... would be nice to have this just open (and maybe moderated) all night

next, there is always the blog approach, but it is the lazy way out and organizes items by most recent item first -- not the most relevant. it also leads to users hunting all over the blog for posts that provide real context to the most recent post. whatever you do, have a dedicated person or two to update a traditional story -- don't just take the lazy way out with a haphazard blog.

next... photos... let reporters or whoever send in celebration or defeat photos from phones... don't wait on the 'pro' shot that will be on the front page to cap your web coverage.. people pensively staring at return screens at the BOE would be better than HOURS old images of people voting as results come in (unless people are still voting)

also: put in BIG red letters on home page and print paper Tuesday Morning how theycan report to you voting problems, long lines or otherwise glitches... make this easy and obvious.

next: do not twitter. please.

last but not least.... live video from the BOE in Greensboro (and maybe Raleigh) would be very doable...

having done a live webcast for months, taking the show on the road would be quite easy...

you'd need a show producer, however, to keep it moving and planned... also, two wireless mic'd talent (one will bog it down), two video photogs with wireless video feed, a wifi video card laptop to upload to audiovideoweb or whoever you use for streaming, a switcher, scando to better show returns and a wrangler for candidate interviews.... very doable... low tech, but would be nice.

For a "newsperson" you have short memory. Well before we heard "Bush wins" we heard Dan Rather tell us that "Gore wins." That was much more problematic because this great "newsperson" told us that "news" before the polls closed in the Panhandle (apparently Rather was unaware of that "insignificant fact), a mostly Republican area. That cost Bush thousands of votes ranging from estimates of 7000 by Demo-Rat strategist, to 14,000 according to some Republicans. Bush won by some 500 votes.

In 2004, without Rather's help, Bush won Florida by more than 400,000 votes. That's just some helpful information in case you feel the need to again rehash Florida 2000!

NEWSPAPER PRESERVATION SUGGESTIONS:

Basic tips for preserving valuable editions of newspapers:
• Do not put the paper in a plastic bag for storage in an attic
or basement where it will decay.
• Lay the newspaper flat -- do not store with paper folded along
the middle. The fold is the first place a newspaper will decay and
discolor.

• Store in an acid-free paper folder available at most art and
office stores.

• Keep paper away from extremes in temperature or humidity.

• If framing, use an acid free matte and UV-3 Plexiglas, which
protect paper from most of ultraviolet rays and prevents discoloring and
fading.

• Finally be advised that nothing can really eliminate newsprint
deterioration over time; after all, this media format is not designed for
archival storage. All we can do is be careful about controlling the
environmental threats to newsprint deterioration.

Source: Special Libraries Association

Diane, please explain whats a valuable newspaper is? John, just print Tuesday morning, clean sweep by the liberals!

this is like talking into an echo chamber...

from what I can gather at least jim wilson/jeff weeks got listened to (even if they were deleted)