Friday, February 24, 2006

The Fort Myers News-Press has launched an interesting project that combines backpack journalism and hyperlocal citizens' media. Under the banner of "Your Community: By you, for you," the newspaper has deployed "mojos" (mobile journalists) with wireless laptops, cameras, and audio recorders in three communities: Bonita Springs, Estero, and North Fort Myers.

The paper's executive editor, Kate Marymont, writes that the mojos also are expected to spend half their time recruiting and training citizen contributors. I find this project noteworthy for several different reasons.

First, it's low-tech. The News-Press is using one of the oldest new-media publishing platforms around: a discussion board. Many times media companies are reluctant to experiment because they lack time, money, technical expertise, or a guaranteed business model. Setting up and running a discussion board can be done quickly and cheaply. If it works, custom technology development can come later.

Second, the project addresses the chicken/egg problem that plagues participatory-media projects: Most people won't contribute until a trove of content already is there. (Medill School journalism students' GoSkokie project learned this lesson somewhat painfully; their experience is documented thoroughly in a PDF report available here.)

Finally, and maybe most significantly for the newspaper industry, the News-Press (a Gannett newspaper) was willing to make some tough choices. To launch this initiative, Marymont says the paper eliminated two positions in its features department. As the media audience shifts from print to online, newspapers are going to have to be willing to make more decisions like this. It doesn't have to be a zero-sum game, though. Marymont notes that content from the community forums is making its way into print.
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