Making news meetings public
Monday, March 10, 2008
Chances are there is some blog turning the tables and covering your news coverage. Take for example LA Observed and The Bruni Digest which keep an eye on the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times food section, respectively, The Editorialiste, a watchdog for the news industry in general or the now defunct PostWatch and NPR Watch which covered The Washington Post and National Public Radio.
We all know there are conspiracy theories abound that reckon "the media" has this agenda or that slant or is trying to sway the public in way or another. In reality, most of us are just nice guys trying to perform a service to the global community. Its sad to say, but a great deal of the public doesn't recognize that.
In the spirit of openness and new media, why not open up news meetings to the public? This could be as simple as placing a digital tape recorder in the middle of the table and posting the (unedited) mp3 on the web or hooking up a webcam to capture the reporting and editing staff in all its glory. If the news meeting is conducted by telephone, which many are, use an inexpensive telephone recording device to capture the meeting. Kudos to The Spokesman-Review for webcasting its news meetings twice a day on weekdays.
An open news meeting is one step up from the now requisite company blog about internal affairs, which, only in rare instances, sheds unfiltered insight on controversial matters. Committing to a visual broadcast of course means tucking in those shirts and cutting down on the in-jokes and swearing, but the behavior modification can easily be done. Obviously, broadcasting news meetings may not work for every media outlet and may create more trouble rather than lessen it. Nevertheless, it is an idea to explore and the natural extension of the online newsroom.
We all know there are conspiracy theories abound that reckon "the media" has this agenda or that slant or is trying to sway the public in way or another. In reality, most of us are just nice guys trying to perform a service to the global community. Its sad to say, but a great deal of the public doesn't recognize that.
In the spirit of openness and new media, why not open up news meetings to the public? This could be as simple as placing a digital tape recorder in the middle of the table and posting the (unedited) mp3 on the web or hooking up a webcam to capture the reporting and editing staff in all its glory. If the news meeting is conducted by telephone, which many are, use an inexpensive telephone recording device to capture the meeting. Kudos to The Spokesman-Review for webcasting its news meetings twice a day on weekdays.
An open news meeting is one step up from the now requisite company blog about internal affairs, which, only in rare instances, sheds unfiltered insight on controversial matters. Committing to a visual broadcast of course means tucking in those shirts and cutting down on the in-jokes and swearing, but the behavior modification can easily be done. Obviously, broadcasting news meetings may not work for every media outlet and may create more trouble rather than lessen it. Nevertheless, it is an idea to explore and the natural extension of the online newsroom.
Labels: blogging, news on the news
