Blueprint-live-blog-repj

Bonnie Obremski discussed the RepJ Project of Northfield, Minn., during a "LunchStorm" talk on Dec. 5, 2008 at the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri, Columbia. Here's a replay of Chuck Peter's CoveritLive.com session.

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[Image:Obremski.jpg|350px|thumb|right|[Bonnie Obremski . . . at RJI-Mizzou]]

• 12:11 Chuck Peters: When Representative Journalism Project started this summer, in Northfield, MN, in addition to local paper and calendar websites at http://locallygrownnorthfield.org/
• 12:14 cpetersia: #RepJ @bonnieobremski describing using momentum of existing blog to launch community website at http://locallygrownnorthfield.org/
• 12:14 Chuck Peters: Bob Brown - What is business model?
• 12:14 Chuck Peters: Bonnie - Still working on business model. Kachingle might be an option, coming out next month.
• 12:15 Chuck Peters: This might work in Northfield, but might be more successful for communities not covered by media
• 12:16 Chuck Peters: Project originator picked Northfield.
• 12:17 Chuck Peters: Existing blog was key factor in location decision.
• 12:18 Chuck Peters: Project only 5 months old
• 12:19 Chuck Peters: Reaction from local weekly? They believe they are serving the community, so could not see fit.
• 12:19 [Comment From Elizabeth Osder] -- when someone says something is popular, what is the measurement scale? At what point is something another echo-chamber or a new diverse source of reporting?
• 12:19 Chuck Peters: Community members - get stories and follow up that others cannot provide.
• 12:21 Chuck Peters: Bonnie has to be multimedia, and has to do it all, to make this work.
• 12:21 Chuck Peters: Not just trying to get content up there, trying to develop model.
• 12:22 Chuck Peters: How would this affect journalism education?
• 12:23 Chuck Peters: Bonnie - Feels close to community - representing them, not advertisers. Professors should stress skills of blogging, as bloggers are one person shows.
• 12:23 [Comment From Elizabeth Osder] -- "I think there is space for us," there is space for everyone now, that's what's wonderful, what's hard on business is that there's no space for one company any more...this is a great example, by a journalist with passion
• 12:27 Chuck Peters: Can someone blog personally and professionally without appearance of conflict?
• 12:29 [Comment From Elizabeth Osder] -- hum, good question, what's puzzling is that all reporting seems to be converging with personal voice/commentary -- inverted pyramid is a snorrr
• 12:29 Chuck Peters: Are people humoring me because I am friendly, like people, and people want to support a "young person"'s project?
• 12:31 Chuck Peters: How is RepJ different from regular journalism? Online, transparent, two way conversation, multi-media. Regular newspaper site - comment on stories.
• 12:31 Chuck Peters: Bonnie - Need way to sort through comments.
• 12:31 [Comment From Elizabeth Osder] -- today's young person's project is tomorrows media empire
• 12:33 [Comment From Elizabeth Osder]

have been working on some comment crawlers and topic extraction with a colleague: http://giladlotan.com/news/prop8

• 12:33 Chuck Peters: Josh - Working on RepJ, highlights how quickly a story develops, and how much work is performed quickly
• 12:34 [Comment From Abe Abreu] -- I think all Journalists should read Free Agent Nation by Dan Pink. The future of trust is about the personal brand - not corporate brands.
• 12:35 cpetersia: #RepJ Watching video of Northfield community issues at http://locallygrownnorthfield.org/post/5646/
• 12:35 [Comment From Elizabeth Osder] -- here's another extract on earthquake: http://giladlotan.com/news/earthquake/ --> sorry to be off on a tangent
• 12:35 Chuck Peters: Project is funded by grant from foundation.
• 12:36 Chuck Peters: Uses copy editor now, from Northfield
• 12:37 thinkbigsmaller: I think Journo-geeks should read Dan Pink's Free Agent Nation. Future is about the trust of personal brands, not corporate.
• 12:37 Chuck Peters: To journalism students - does this type of project appeal to you?
• 12:39 Chuck Peters: One from MN interested. Another notes that those reporters who blog are more connected to community.
• 12:40 Chuck Peters: Bonnie - mentions idea of "personal branding", just tweeted by Abe Abreu.
• 12:42 Chuck Peters: What is the function of the local news organization in organizing local bloggers. Aggregating local trust, not just stories.
• 12:43 [Comment From Elizabeth Osder] -- trust aggregator not just a story aggregator...nice concept abe
• 12:45 Chuck Peters: Quality, transparency, accuracy compared to life in a daily? Everyone has their own truth - try to get context. Should track errors.
• 12:49 Chuck Peters: Chuck Peters asked if local media company could use this model within communities it serves. Yes!
• 12:51 Chuck Peters: Martin Langeveld asked same question - this could work. He blogs about these issues at http://newsafternewspapers.blogspot.com/

• 12:52 Chuck Peters: In some instances, hard to find subject matter experts to cover subjects in a service area.
• 12:53 thinkbigsmaller: Group here receptive to my poke on trust aggregation and role of trusted "community reps" in a free agent model + smaller news room.
• 12:55 cpetersia: RT @thinkbigsmaller #RepJ receptive to my poke on trust aggregation and role of trusted "community reps" in a free agent model
• 12:56 Chuck Peters: Experimenting with form of journalism and relationship with community before asking anyone to pay for it. Community expresses support.
• 12:56 Chuck Peters: Can you use NPR model?
• 12:56 Chuck Peters: Any other ideas for operation or funding?
• 1:01 Chuck Peters: It is a wrap! Thanks Bonnie, and Bill!
• 1:01 cpetersia: Wrapping up #RepJ session with lots of ideas for expanded WordPress uses. See http://cpetersia.wordpress.com for replay of live blog

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