More on the Citizen-Times' 'networked journalism' project

Story here from the Daily Tell, which offers a few more details on how this journalism project the Asheville Citizen-Times is participating in. 

Five news organizations have joined a new "networked journalism" project put into effect by American University’s J-Lab: The Institute for Interactive Journalism and funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

The one year project will consist of lessons that foster collaboration between journalistic outlets, both small and large, to maintain a high quality of informational output of local journalism.

"In these days where anyone can publish local information, we hope that a guided partnership between local newspapers and local bloggers or citizen journalists can increase the amount of local information available in a community and raise its quality. We see this as a win/win for the community," said Gary Kebbel, the Knight’s Foundation’s journalism program director.

The five pilot news organizations who will take part in the program will be The Seattle Times, The Miami Herald, The Charlotte Observer, Asheville (N.C.) Citizen-Times, and TucsonCitizen.com, which is classified as a "web-only citizen journalism outlet."

After each organization reaches out to at least one "hyperlocal" journalistic outlet, they will work together based on lessons constructed by J-Lab that will teach effective ways to collaborate with other journalists when working on pieces.

Among the topics that will be covered in the lessons will be how to find the right people to collaborate with, how to tailor news for more mainstream outlets and share content, and how to maintain a sense of ownership of one’s work while working with a network of other writers.
"A growing number of web-based journalists now help to fill the need for quality news coverage in many communities," said Rick Thames, the Charlotte Observer’s editor. "We’d like to see if partnerships with these journalists could lead to richer, more relevant content for all of our audiences."

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation was established in 1950 and seeks to promote a worldwide excellence in journalism and has allocated more than $400 million in grants towards journalistic causes.

Comments

[Newspaper Junkie]

Ashvegas would seem to be a prime candidate . . . if a former Citizen-Times employee (and now an employee for a rival media outlet) can be considered.

What are other local candidates?

[cow poke]

"After each organization reaches out to at least one "hyperlocal" journalistic outlet, they will work together based on lessons constructed by J-Lab that will teach effective ways to collaborate with other journalists when working on pieces."

Can't wait to see how this plays out. Will they reach out to Vegas (the obvious choice), or will they go with Bowen's MAIN, and endure the wrath of the Teabaggers. Or will they embrace said baggers and "reach" out to the Carolina Stompers. You're move, Ganett. We're watching.

[Jeff]

"We’d like to see if partnerships with these journalists could lead to richer, more relevant content for all of our audiences."

Translation: If we get people in the community to do our journalism-stuff at no cost to us, we'll be richer and the people will still eat it up because they wrote it.

[Dad]

SHOW ME THE MONEY. There ain't no free lunch and no free journalism. Grant money is only temporary, where is the sustainability. Some say that 'ad' money will shift to the 'hyperlocals', but will it?

I love that phrase, hyperlocal blogger.