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| − | A bold group of entrepreneurs, intent on serving their communities, and aiming to make a decent living doing so, embrace a new technology. They begin
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| − | meeting together to share best practices. And gradually they learn how to make it work as a vital public service -- and business -- growing to become a
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| − | vital part of the U.S. media ecosystem.
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| − | It was post-World War II America. They were America's pioneering owners of small-market, community radio stations. Today, the operators of America's
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| − | local online news communities (LONCs) are again pioneering with new technologies that serve the public and make a business.
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| − | On Oct. 28, just as the Online News Association meeting begins in Washington, D.C., some of them will meet for two hours to pose and discuss four key
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| − | · What are our greatest entrepreneurial fears?
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| − | · How have we measured success, so far?
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| − | · What are our biggest challenges?
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| − | · How do we share the work of building a new public service?
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| − | If you own or manage a local online news community -- profit or non-profit -- and you're ready to help answer those questions . please join the Donald W.
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| − | Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI), J-Lab, the Institute for New Media and National Public Radio -- from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (hors d'oeuvres,
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| − | refreshments and networking from 5 p.m.) on Oct. 28 at NPR headquarters, 635 Massachusetts Ave., NW for:
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| − | "Beyond Block by Block: A Community News Caucus"
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| − | For close to a decade, J-Lab, Placeblogger.com, the Media Giraffe Project, Journalism that Matters and others have been watching and advising LONC
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| − | pioneers in all their diversity. As their impact grows, titans like America Online, Google and Yahoo are eyeing their business and their promise.
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| − | Is it time for America's local online news pioneers to affiliate?
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| − | The Knight Foundation, RJI and others sponsored "Block by Block: The Community News Summit," in October in Chicago, where more than 50 LONC operators.
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| − | Advertising, sustainability and networking emerged as key concerns. "Beyond Block by Block: A Community News Caucus," answers the need to keep the dialog
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| − | going -- just as 900 online news professionals gather a block away in downtown Washington.
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| − | HERE IS SOME OTHER POSITIONING LANGUAGE I PLAYED WITH LAST NIGHT:
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| − | A quiet revolution is underway. A reinvention of community. New ways to practice the values, principles and purposes of journalism. Slowly, but surely,
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| − | more and more people are getting their news and information not from ink on paper, or from broadcasts, but from the web . . . from their social network
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| − | or their phone app, or the web or mobile app produced by a legacy news organization in their home or professional community.
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| − | As quietly, and as surely, entrepreneurs are stepping in where voids exist to innovate and grow local online news communities. First it was here and
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| − | there, a few experiments in a few places, each with rather different approaches. The innovation continues, but some axioms are becoming clear.
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| − | And for the practitioners, as the period of testing turns into a lifestyle . . . a business . . . And we see we are not alone. At events organized by
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| − | J-Lab, or RJI, or Journalism That Matters or Poynter or the Media Giraffe Project, the stories are told and they start to gel. Ways to make the worker
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| − | easier, better, deeper and more useful to the public, to businesses . . . day by day, year by year.
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| − | Day by day, week by week . . . block by block . . . these new entrepreneurs, new pamphleteers, new community organizers are raising their hands and
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| − | saying, .I want to do this for my community. I want to report, convene, explore, connect..
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| − | Welcome to the Community News Caucus at ONA-Washington. For just over two hours . a chance to pose questions and share some answers. Is it time for
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| − | something to bring us together. Maybe not an organization, yet, or a group, but perhaps a caucus. What will be the essential purpose? What are the
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| − | opportunities for collaboration, syndication, networking or the forming an interest group for U.S.-based local online news communities?
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| − | A caucus might provide knowledge sharing through:
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| − | · Clearing house for advertising collaboration
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| − | · Advocacy to spotlight and legitimize the public-service role of
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| − | LONCs
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| − | · Better visibility for efforts that support local online news
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| − | innovation
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| − | · Representation on First Amendment and net-neutrality policies
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| − | · Help desk services delivered on demand to caucus members
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| − | · Coordination for business and ethics, technology and legal
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| − | training
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| − | Who could manage a caucus? Would it be a membership organization? With dues? Who could be a member? Should it start off as an interest group within an
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| − | existing organization such as the Online News Association or the Society of Professional Journalists. Could it be hosted by ONA, or J-Lab, or the
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| − | Reynolds Journalism Institute?
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| − | Should a group do lobbying on net neutrality and other issues as a 501(c)4?
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| − | What are the needs?
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| − | · Organize an ad/sponsor network
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| − | · Take advantage of ONA.s .parachute training. at various locations
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| − | around the country.
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| − | · What are the tools you need to do this? What.s open source?
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| − | · What are the business rules to think about
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| − | · Legal services
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| − | · Libel insurance
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| − | · Health insurance
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| − | · Ethics issues
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