New York Times
What's happening Around the Web
One of our functions here at the Center is to be "surrogate readers" for Texas community journalists. Keeping up with the fast-changing world of community journalism has never been harder, and community journalism is now the "hot" area in mass communications.
But you have a paper to put out, and a Website to maintain. A few of you may even have a life.
So we'll help you keep up with what folk around the nation are saying about our field — about community journalism specifically and the wider world of newspapers and news Websites in general.
November 9, 2009
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New online news venture begins in Texas
One of the more interesting online news ventures in the nation is happening right here in Texas. It’s an online-only news site that was launched as a non-profit organization. It’s called the Texas Tribune, and it’s funded by readers who donate to keep alive what they consider a worthy cause. The editor is Evan Smith, former editor-in-chief of Texas Monthly. You can check out the new site at texastribune.org. And even if you don’t go there, look at what promises to be a regular feature on that site – using animation and pop-ups to insert everything from humor to fact-checking to background information into a speech, inserted during the speech itself. Currently, the “victim” is Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson. You can see the “stump interrupted” concept on the Texas Tribune site, or access it directly from YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAUUw4NrKkE.
August 11, 2009
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Many starting their day with the Web, not a newspaper
A story in the NYT looks at how many are starting their day online, which could mean an even further decrease in the amount of time people have to read the paper in the morning. "It used to be you woke up, went to the bathroom, maybe brushed your teeth and picked up the newspaper," Naomi S. Baron, a professor at American University told the NYT. “But what we do first now has changed dramatically." The story uses Web traffic patterns and anecdotal accounts to discuss the phenomenon, which is likely already affecting how many consume their news.
July 6, 2009
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'Keep it short' rule for online video may be out
A story in today's New York Times chronicles the rise of online video and shows some recent statistics that indicate users' attention spans are growing significantly. It may no longer be necessary to hit the less-than-90-seconds mark that not so long ago was the ideal length for an online video. “A few years ago, three minutes ‘watching’ your computer felt like a novelty; now, it’s as familiar as your television set,” said one online video producer.
