Rockchucks – Innovation Incubator

In regards to Mark Potts’ comments – which I found very helpful and useful – I was talking (in person) to Hepi about the social netoworking aspect that Potts recommended we harness.  I think to some extent he is right, but am I correct in asserting that the social networking aspect is the tool/vehicle we are using in order to attract people to the site and use it?  As opposed to a news site that features straight information and throws out news stories, the social networking aspect should be a catalyst for user participation.  People see social networking as a sign.  Let me explain…If you see a stop sign on the road, you stop (well, not if you’re driving in Las Vegas;) if you see social networking on the internet…you stop and interact.  This may be a bit of a jump, but the social networking aspect takes some of that, ‘Let me get the news I know I should be listening to, but don’t necessarily want to hear’ thought process and transforms it into, ‘I didn’t know the news could be this much fun.’  Ok…maybe a little cheesy…but you get the drift, right?  Maybe we could strip Jonathan’s description down a bit, but I’ll leave that to the frameworkers…I’m not really trained in frameworking…just talking complete nonsense about the framework;)

Jenna

Although I agree with Rob’s highlighted statement at the end of the google doc about the final idea – the lacking originality or innovation – I think it is important to remember what Adrian Holovaty is doing with Every Block. He confessed that Every Block is not every bit as innovative and original as some of his and other people’s past ideas for online news, but that it is the implementation and scale of the general ideas (hyper-local content/social networking) that make Every Block innovative and original. Same goes with the IPod…not an innovative concept – MP3s were out – but the implementation and design of their specific MP3 was very innovative. So anywho…I think what we need to emphasize and back up in our presentation is the streamlining parts of our idea…really drive home how innovative the simplicity of the Collaborative Portal is. In addition, I thought I heard a bit of Creation Netting rhetoric in the Google Doc explanation. I really think this could be an innovative element that should be talked about in the introduction. Sharing and caring have not always been ideals that are promoted in the journalism community (for obvious reasons) but continue to pop up as online news becomes more and more apart of the everyday fabric of journalism. Creation netting would be a valid explanation to help aide the problem of content ownership versus the collaborative and sharing nature of the Internet. Good day ladies and gents;)

Jenna

Ok…so most of my classes are not technology based, even though they realize that technology is what is driving this industry (media, journlaism). So my post might not have anything to do with helping us on our way to an idea, but it certainly might shed some light on the theoretical future of journalism. In my Mass Media & Political Communication class one of the instructors, who was a long time Wall Street Journal economic reporter, gave an interesting lecture on the implementation and rise of civic journalism. She defined civic journalism as an attempt to abandon the notion that citizens and journalists are merely spectators. Civic journalism, she asserted, believes that journalism has an obligation to the public to unload information that is in direct effect/affect with the community and that the way journalists perform their job has a direct impact on public life. In addition, civic journalism takes some of the agenda setting powers traditionally given to editors and puts it in the journalists hands a little more. She said she wasn’t quite sure she was on board with this whole “new” way of doing journalism, and wasn’t quite sure it was even ‘journalism,’ but that she was willing to give it a test run in the class room setting. It just so happens that this class is going to perform civic journalism.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I didn’t know there was really any other kind of journalism. I mean, I got into this whole game because I wanted to make a difference in society, but not with picket signs and rallies, more with words and facts . . .the Edward R. Murrow way. I wanted to inform society, community and make a better world. I don’t know what type of better world that would be, but I know that an informed society is a better one. Further more, I don’t know that I want to just throw facts and stories out there without any type of social conscience behind them. Is that even ethical? I know where this instructor is coming from, that unbiased reporting is the only way to accurately inform the public, but can you really live your life detached from emotional cause? Am I wrong in asserting that what we’ve been participating in all summer, and now into the fall semester is civic journalism? I was not aware that this was such a highly controversial topic. If I get nothing more out of this whole experience, I have definitely learned that the journalistic community is full of wedges and divides. But if that’s true, then how can we expect to bring people together with our craft?

I know I’m a little late on the whole posting thing, but what the hey . . . busy week;) Everyone’s posts are really amazing. I just wanted to throw out there – since I don’t believe everyone got the same amount of praise and credit in August – that I feel really lucky to be working with you guys. I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to this whole digital concept (I sound like I’m 60, I know) and that’s often what keeps me from contributing a lot, but when I listen to the rest of you guys, I can’t help but think that I’m in the presence of real greatness. I just wanted you guys to all know that I think you’re very impressive, because past the age of 12, those glorifying moments when your artwork is posted in your middle school hallways are few and far between. If this were an elementary school, our blog would serve as an entire hallway of astonishing artwork;)

Lots of Love,

Peaches;)