Jtm-dc-essential-questions

THREE ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

Hi Everyone,

In about a week, all of us will gather in Washington DC to talk about building a 21st century newsroom. That's the starting point for  the Journalism That Matters - DC Sessions.

Some very good brains around the country are thinking about how journalism and newsgathering can survive and prosper in a when the old business model is eroding as fast as new digital technology is on the rise.

But no one, as yet, has put all the pieces together and tried to launch a 21st century newsroom. In DC, let's see if we can get the best ideas on the table and work up a real-life model that can be launched in a real place.

To get us started, I'd like each of you to take a look at The Next Newsroom plan that is posted at the link below:

http://www.mediagiraffe.org/wiki/index.php/jtm-dc-next-newsroom

And you can see how fellow JTM-DC participants are improving and commenting on it by looking here:

http://www.mediagiraffe.org/wiki/index.php/Talk:Jtm-dc-next-newsroom

There are many, many issues that we will discuss in DC related to the future of news-gathering. But I think any discussion about The Next Newsroom must start by considering three questions:

Answering the three essential questions: Your thoughts?

To get the party started, I'd ask each of you to weigh in with your thoughts how to address these challenges. Post your comments on the JTM-DC blog. It's easy. Follow this link, or click on any of the three questions below to start a comment immediately.

1. How does a community support journalism at a time when traditional newspaper-generated revenue is drying up? POST A REPLY COMMENT
2. How does journalism survive when digital devices have made centralized printing presses and TV stations all but obsolete? POST A REPLY COMMENT
3. What is journalism, anyway, in a time when citizens with a cell phone and laptop can tell stories, take photos and be journalists for a day anytime they want? POST A REPLY COMMENT

More detailed discussion of these questions can be found on The Journalism That Matters - Next Newsroom blogunder the headings of:  Challenges - Revenue; Challenges -Technology; and Challenges - Community.

We'll pick up the discussions at George Washington University on August 7 and 8.

Looking forward to a stimulating couple of days.

  Chris Peck, Editor
The Commercial Appeal
495 Union Ave.,br> Memphis, TN 38103
peck@commercialappeal.com
901-529-2390

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