Comments on: Journalists are being asked to do more online, often without guidance

By: Kathy Vetter

Kathy Vetter — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 16:02:57 +0000

Yes, we absolutely have to have a plan at some point. BUT, if people don’t understand the tools and technology, how can they formulate a plan? Yes, we ask our folks to get on the platforms and try them out. Can’t see what’s wrong with that. It’s their responsibility to keep up with what’s happening on their beat and in the media world. Not sure what’s wrong with that expectation. (Yes, I’m an editor who moved to online, and I tell people to get on and try. First step.)

By: Joe Ruiz

Joe Ruiz — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 07:20:43 +0000

Patrick,

I came across this post by Jeremiah Owyang from somebody and it made me think of this post.

http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/17/stop-focusing-on-the-hammer-and-think-about-the-house/

I’ll admit, at my news org (TV/Web site), we’ve kind of just thrown it together and are trying to see what sticks. No excuses, I just haven’t set a plan for how we want to build the house and I’ve screwed around with the hammer and nails too much.

As far as your other point, I’m going to have to come up with the boundaries quick, as one reporter has already tweeted something that could bite them in the ass, and I had to have them quickly delete the message (not that it’s not still available for somebody who looks hard enough, but it’s not just sitting there in the open anymore).

But to answer the question — and I know we’ve discussed it on Twitter, too — no, we don’t have a specific plan in place for our staffers, and if I don’t set it up soon, I know we’ll either get burnt or do something we could regret.

The tools are great, but figure out what you need/want them for first.

By: OMNT links of the week #1 | Old Media, New Tricks

OMNT links of the week #1 | Old Media, New Tricks — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:48:27 +0000

[...] From Beatblogging, here’s a post about how reporters are being asked to do more online — without much help. [...]

By: Bookmarks for October 30th through October 31st | Jared Silfies

Bookmarks for October 30th through October 31st | Jared Silfies — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:08:28 +0000

[...] Journalists are being asked to do more online, often without guidance | BeatBlogging.Org – Thornton makes a compelling point — throwing technology at a problem isn't solving anything. First you have to plan out what to use and why it's effective. Then you implement the technology. [...]

By: Liz Colville

Liz Colville — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 22:07:35 +0000

We’re using many cool and hip tools over at findingDulcinea, and find that they’re working great. Our hot list includes Topix, which provides us a commenting service, Diigo, Twitter, StumbleUpon, Facebook, Delicious, Yahoo! Buzz and Digg.

These tools bring a diverse and curious audience to our site. They all come for different reasons and stick around for different reasons.

But these sites – particularly the wonderful Diigo – are also excellent storing and research tools for us. We use them to get wider angles on what’s happening – what’s already been covered, what hasn’t, and how we’re going to add to the conversation.

We may not know what the lifespans of these tools are in the grand scheme of Web 3.0, but as journalists, we’re pretty happy with them.