The Knight News Challenge is a competition that funds various technological innovations after hosting a competition and selecting a varying amount of winners. Knight News Challenge has three simple rules to guide the innovation process.

1. Use digital, open-source technology.
2. Distribute news in the public interest.
3. Test your project in a local community.

The challenge, which takes place annually, is a part of John S. and James L. Knight Foundation’s Media Innovation Initiative according to its website.

One of the most common attribute found in winning innovations comes straight from the Google business model as presented by Jeff Jarvis in his book What Would Google Do. The content is free. The Zonie Report and Document Cloud are a couple of examples of free services offered by winners from 2009. It is worth noting, that not all winners share this attribute entirely. Spot.us, a winner from 2008, is a service that requests readers donate money to fund specific stories that require a certain amount of investigative journalism. Reporters make pitches to the general public (examples found here and here) and provide an estimate based on pay rate for the writer and deadlines for publication.

Another common attribute found in multiple winners is their preference to deliver services that are or can be localized. The Zonie Report and spot.us are both based in local markets and tailor their product for local readers. What is most fascinating about this concept is that small, local communities are being drawn closer together in the same way that the global community is drawn together by older media outlets like the New York times and ESPN. The Community News Network, created for the University of California at Los Angeles, provides an open platform for student journalists to edit and upload content. It also provides readers with the ability to submit material and communicate with each other. Having such an open platform is certainly something Jarvis would also be happy to see. The website even has a handy crime following map, which uses Google maps to pinpoint the various crimes that occur around campus.

While these projects have proven to be innovative enough to win the Knight News Challenge and succeed online in this “Age of Google,” online innovations are rarely stagnant and developers must be aware of this fact. One of the concepts Jarvis discusses in his book is the idea that the internet is becoming a place for niches. As such, companies should identify what they do best, and “link the rest.”Although many of these innovations are startups, it is important that they allow themselves the flexibility to network with other local and statewide media outlets. For example, the Zonie Report seems to do a great job of covering Arizona related news. However, it could be beneficial for this outlet to seek out news sources and bloggers from neighboring states and perhaps find commentary on how various national issues will affect the state and communities within it. Although somewhat unrelated, The Navajo Times does a wonderful job of this.

One of my favorite projects, Printcasting, does something I hope to do in my proposal. Printcasting allows readers to create their own magazine, while helping to pair articles (and their contributors) with advertisers to create a product for a given niche. Although I haven’t completed by magazine on the website yet (yes, I signed up to the website at first site), it has provided me with some ideas to build on for my project.

As many of you know, I have dedicated a portion of this site to “your news,”a section with asks you what you want covered and provides a place for discussion and debate on the topics you raise. My broader idea is to create news, based on reader input, so that my news site can best cater to the needs and wants of a given niche. If the reporters for my site cannot provide reporting for your topic, we will do our best to link you to another news source that can (or in many cases has already). In addition, my site would maintain an “open network” policy that allows for other sites to use our content and source documents (an idea Document Cloud, a 2009 winner brought to mind). Such a policy allows for transparency in the journalistic process and provides assurance (and additional information) to readers.

Is journalism really dead…or is it simply transforming?

As we venture into the future in search of new models for journalism, it is important that we take some time and evaluate the threads that bind the news models for journalism that are popping up all over the internet. Before discussing that, take a look at an interesting article by Jacob Weisberg. He argues that media institutions have never really followed one standard model and we should look forward to the next age of journalism prepared for multiple models of journalism to co-exist.
Weisberg backs up his claim by with compelling evidence yet offers clues into things new (and old) journalist models have in common. He points out that the Associated Press is a not-for profit cooperative that has flourished. He also points out that Rupert Murdoch “has consistently lost money maintaining the quality” of The Times of London. Can such business models apply to the next wave of journalistic ventures?
The philanthropic nature of The Times of London is currently being applied on a much smaller scale in the San Diego community.  This independent non-profit media outlet has found success by catering to a small community. Although sacrificing profits, such an arrangement keeps the outlet’s business model free from the whims of the market. Although technically, donors could be affected by the market and withdraw funds, they provide a buffer in between the media outlet and the market. This model, which has existed for decades in newspapers owned and operated by concerned families, may prove to be a successful one. It is important to note that government funding can quickly follow donations, as Jeff Jarvis mentions in this piece about new business models for the news.
In addition to not-for-profit media organizations, a popular business model proposed by Internet giant Google, offers a solution for bringing other news outlets online through some sort of micropayment system. Internet giant Google is currently attempting to create a micropayment system for what its calls “premium content.” Although Internet enthusiasts often embrace Google, many disagree with the notion that micropayments can save journalism, specifically newspapers. Paul Graham considers whether or not readers would pay for premium content because he argues, better journalism doesn’t necessarily equal higher demand.
One trend that can be found in just about all models for journalism is the necessity of advertising. The advertising industry has helped to fund newspapers for ages, but their withdraw of support during the economic crisis of 2008/2009 is one of the main causes for the panic in newspapers across the nation. Newspapers can, however, take solace in the fact that small, hyper local newspapers are posting good profits and even thriving in a world that says newspapers are dead. If such a trend continues, Websites like this may be waiting along time to dig new plots for newspapers once the large metros that are going to perish, ride off into the sun.

Are small, hyper local papers the answer to decreasing readership in the print industry?

Getting away from the business side of journalism, we should discuss what, if any changes need to be made in the reporting model of the industry. Once upon a time, most journalists could spell just about everything. However, spell check has created a new generation of journalists (myself included) who have difficulty spelling. Phil Hill discusses this and other characteristics about modern day reporting’s and writing. Grammar and spell check aside, Hill argues that journalists are required to do everything, from shooting, to writing, to reporting.
Although he represents these changes in a negative light, schools such as Northwestern and the University of Texas are moving more and more towards multimedia education. These changes do not need to be a bad thing as long as journalists gather the proper information and synthesis it for the people.
At its core, journalism is about creating dialogue and ensuring that our democracy not only exists, but also flourishes.
One of the newest trends in journalism that is likely her to stay is the blogosphere. Many mainstream journalists feed information to their readers in real time using this technology. In terms of a good model or reporting, I believe that blogging will continue to grow with the news industry. Here are a couple of my favorite blogs: AC360 and Tim Griffin.
The model of news that interests me the most is the non-profit, hyper local model. Not only do these models flourish enough to pay the bills, but they also are somewhat immune to the market. In terms of the reporting model, nothing can beat the tried and true techniques of investigative reporting. However, such a model should continue to incorporate blogs into practice and provide readers with an opportunity to respond and contribute to the news.

Students around campus, save perhaps the freshmen, have become used to seeing blood buses around campus asking for folks to donate. Today, I am going to write about what I perceive to be a tragedy for the blood banks who come every semester to draw blood and save lives.

Alpha Phi Omega, an organization I have been a member of for two years, hosts MD Anderson and the Blood Center of Central Texas every semester for one of the largest student-run blood drives in Texas. Traditionally, APO has three locations spread throughout campus for an entire week open from 9am to 5pm each day (in addition to the Jester location, which is open from 9am to midnight with a one hour break in the late afternoon).

In recent weeks, officials at Jester and the Parking and Transportation Services have decided to refuse access to three of APO’s traditional four locations. Although I am awaiting information from Jester officials as to why they have decided to close APO’s flagship location after decades of cooperation, PTS has told APO officers that the other locations block traffic. PTS also cited that the high amount of construction on campus creates a greater need for space, which the buses would use up.

Currently, APO is looking for alternate locations on campus but concedes that the loss of the Jester location is devastating to their efforts. Their lone remaining location on Speedway is secure for now, but it should be noted that they recently lost their FAC unexpectedly.  I will continue to follow this breaking story as it develops. Check back for quotes from officals and changes in the status quo.

The world of journalism has been thrown into chaos by the panic over the future of newspapers. In spite of this,  journalism must endure and become a better watchdog for the people. In order to do this, we will explore the crisis facing may journalists across the world and discuss the future models of journalism that will allow journalists to not only report and inform, but provide for themselves and their families. In addition to blogs concerning the future of journalism, I will attempt to sprinkle my blog with dialogue and links relating to other issues and events going on around us in order to provide additional discussion and thought. I can’t wait to see all of your feedback! In the words of Star Trek Captains everywhere: Let us boldly go where no one has gone before…