David Crumm – Using Beat Blogging to Cover Religion
I first met David Crumm on Assignment Zero. As a religion reporter for the Detroit
Free Press for 25+ years, he came into the experiment with 30 or more
sources that joined our project right away. He was one of the more
successful editors in Assignment Zero who, despite technical glitches,
kept his sources motivated by finding a common ground. Every week he
emailed everyone and explained how they could contribute.
In a recent phone conversation Crumm told me that AZ was a rich
experience for him and his sources as well. At the time Crumm was still working
for the Detroit Free Press and working on a side blog Spirit Scholars. Since the project, however, Crumm has left the DFP and is now working on his own religion website, Read the Spirit.
The new site is also about creating a community of readers who engage with content, which Crumm believes is "the future of our enterprise." So
this installment of Lessons from Reporters is all about Crumm – our
honorary religion beat blogger.
