News Challenge - ideas please

andy

I've just found this. <http://newschallenge.org/>; It's an award scheme for local media projects. These awards can be huge ($5m+), but I'm thinking about a decent sized project that can use this site as a vehicle for something fun and interesting around local news. The site qualifies for the award because all the tech (at base) is open source, we're in the community and we have news on the site. So things are I'm thinking (very vaguely) about include: 1. Something cool with *mobile* - can we do something with SMS, or GPS, or mobile apps? 2. Something cool with *video* - shooting super local interesting stuff 3. Something cool about *paying a local journalist* to be our house reporter - maybe with a video, like the guy from Max Headroom. 4. Something cool about *connecting people* to politicians, councils, businesses. Maybe even around the election? Anyone got anything? All ideas are good ideas at the moment. The deadline is Dec 15th, so we need to get a bend on if we want to do something. Be as ambitious as you like - former winners are here: <http://newschallenge.org/winners>;

underscore_cue

number 4 sounds very promising - some sort of pilot project for a new kind of local democratic participation....enlightened stroud greeners spread good practice to the rest of the country/world... have you heard of a group called 'involve' - charitable, they undertake projects based encouraging participation, this is an example: <http://www.involve.org.uk/sayandplay/>; perhaps the idea could be to carry out something like - perhaps with an excluded group, using media in a clever way to make it work.

poxy

Surely, we take our inspiration from the heated debate about speed bumps on the other thread and your number #3 above with a measured dose of legal advice thrown in... The journo and the lawyer (we need a snappy super-hero team name) investigate local issues that affect local people and they fight our collective corner for us. Just for good measure we'll track them with GPS and they'll wear headcams. We then interrupt their train of thought with constant SMS messages of new ideas / issues. It'll never work.

markpack

Bonkers perhaps, but ... how about some sort of project to produce a regular printed version of this site? i.e. take it into a format that suits (a) people who don't like online or aren't online, and (b) people who love online but prefer the old fashioned medium for reading lots of text.

It'd be like a community newspaper written by the community.

krappyrubsnif

How about getting funding for local libraries / bars / Internet caffs / Tesco / Sparks and the like to showcase SG Org on a dedicated interactive screen, so people could always see and make their own contributions?

hellojo

I like it - I had an idea like that a while ago where you would have a dedicated screen, for example inside a shop window facing outwards, and people could text it (moderated!) with things going on in the area. This was before the days of twitter etc, and before finding sg.org - and I agree that showing sg.org or a simplified version showing events, local issues only (rather than films we like etc) would be better

The disadvantage of this approach is that it wouldn't be interactive, or allow people to read more on things they were interested in - so if it was possible to have an interactive system and put it in places that are open most of the time e.g the tube, shops, pub etc as krappyrubsnif suggests - that would be better

andy

all good ideas - keep em coming. I like the idea of giving all the local shopkeepers headcams and broadcasting them 24/7. I also think we could do a foursquare style thing where we could locate people on using their phones and report news based on that. Or something.

andy

moderation is the problem.

this "interactive billboard" in the US posted news tweets with 'hilarious' consequences:
<img width=450 src="http://s2.buzzfeed.com/static/imagebuzz/terminal01/2009/11/29/8/twitter-and-electronic-billboards-dont-mix-very-w-22940-1259503079-3.jpg">

this one got the guy in charge of it fired.

graeme

@Poxy re: We then interrupt their train of thought with constant SMS messages of new ideas / issues.

We should give him/her a secret ear-piece to receive our instructions, and broadcast the fun

<a href="">Sort of like this, but at a council meeting</a>

andy

getting some really good ideas around politics, but I'm also interested in news. For example, look at this: <http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/30/smsone-micro-local-india-news/>;

max

I think it would be great for StroudGreen.org to become THE portal for stroud green residents:

- Details of community events
- Reviews of local shops
- Details of nights on in local resturants, bars and pubs

I love getting the weekly newsletter through, but it is just an overview of what everyone's been saying on the discussion boards. Lots of this is great stuff, a discussion about a community event, such as the choir, questions about local businesses/services, gripes about local issues and the usual banter, but organised properly it could be a fantastic rescource.

And I love the idea of local Kiosks/interactive screens for all this.

Reg

What about funding someone to visit all the local shops and reporting on new stock/promotions etc? Then when people are looking for things, this bod can also track it down for them. Might even become sustainable. They could also encourage the shop keepers (like the charity shops for example) to tweet new arrivals and stuff. The grocers could promote stuff that is fresh/old etc I doubt there is enough local 'news' that doesn't involve councillors with extended digits...

checkski

What's this about a newsletter, Max? I have searched everywhere, with a view to signing up, but can't find any reference to it.

andy

Click "Your Account" - top right corner Then click "Forum Preferences" - bottom of the grey box on the left The check the button "Receive weekly newsetter by email" at the bottom of that page. It's a bit tucked away!

anix

I like the idea of a printed version of events/ screen or similar that can engage the community, this can also help some members who feel isolated and become the new religion! and on the subject, beware of the UCKG people, in fact a very controversial church who are particularly active around this time of the year trying to get donations and new recruits. You find them around Holloway rd and Seven Sisters with one of their bases at the old rainbow theatre.

andy

Knight Foundation: Hello, do you have a local media news proposal for us?
Us: Yes, we'd like to found a new religion. Using flyers and touchscreens.
Knight Foundation: Wonderful. It's not what we asked for, but here's $5m.

The ginger monkey

For something dull, functional but worthy, how about an automated system to text people locally who live in the area when Arsenal are playing at home and everyone therefore needs parking permits.

Not the most exciting idea in the world, but it would have saved me a small fortune last year. I've got as far as sending myself an automated email these days, but wonder if a text might be worthwhile?

The other thing might be to persuade the councillors to have an online surgery as well as a real-life one?

andy

How would people feel if someone knocked on your door and asked for your email address and/or mobile number?

Because if we did that, we'd get very high local penetration and be able to do things like Arsenal matchday alerts, weekly editorial emails etc.

graeme

Wouldn't mind getting email alerts, though my mobile number is a no-no.

twinspark

Oh dear - this is all very sad.

Akin to cyber curtain twitching, hedge trimming and car-washing '..SG? there's an app. for that!..'

What's wrong with the site as is? Let's not make a career out of working on the parish newsheet.

I would be very upset - to put it mildly - if anyone knocked on my door and asked for e-mail address and mobile number.

Info on Arsenal matches are available in numerous ways; newspapers, tv, radio, and online at Arsenal's own site - who knew?!

dorothy

I'd be okay with both email and mobile, Not sure about the cold calling, if I didn't know you, on the doorstep. Might have to do some fliers before hand or something.

andy

@twinspark - I think this site, as with life, is what you make it.

I'm curious as why would you be so upset if someone asked for your email address? You could always say no. It's a quid pro quo - I'd only expect you to say yes if you thought it was worthwhile. It's not asking for money and it would respect your privacy (though we'd have to satisfy that of course).

Personally, I'm very protective of my mobile number, but think it could be really powerful if you could communicate with a local catchment area. So I'm torn on that one. Can probably only ever be opt-in.

The reason to go door-to-door is that if you're just 'opt-in', then you'll only ever catch the digital-savvy techie types who find this stuff anyway (hello gingermonkey, matt, markpack). But if you go knocking on doors, you might reach people who could value online services, but never see them. Nothing more sinister than that.

We definitely punting in an application for this. I think it could be interesting, that's all.

markpack

@andy When I've gone out on the doorsteps asking people for their email addresses on behalf of politicians / election candidates, I've had a pretty friendly response. And I think most people instinctively would view a local discussion site like this rather more than politicians these days :-)

graeme

An open wifi cloud made up of everyone in the areas' routers (who already have them) might be popular/useful, with the landing page being a local portal (ie this site) when they browse on the cloud. Nothing intrusive though. They'd obviously be able to get out onto the rest of the web.

The lack of 3G or even Edge coverage in the Oakfield Road side of SG could be a gap for something like that to fill, while bringing the community together. Would help those who are non-techy get on the web/connect with the community (haha by staying in their bedsits on the interwebs) without having to get their own hardware (except a wifi computer/phone).

Ian

@graeme - for the poor 3g coverage you probably have some of the local tinfoil hat anti-science brigade that campaigned against the 3G mast on Mount View Road. The company won but probably gave up on the people round there as idiots that didn't deserve phone coverage.

graeme

Yeah figure that's the case. Am happy actually, would rather have ropey mobile reception than spoil a nice view and glad some local opinion took precedence over big business.

Right, kids?
<img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45696000/jpg/_45696947_rick_bbc_226.jpg"></img>

Ian

I doubt it is aesthetics as it is pretty hard to spot a 3G mast. It certainly isn't science. So it might be anti big business and wanting poor mobile signals I guess. If they really believed in their anti-radio waves cause they would be camping out outside Alexandra Palace until they have pulled down that big Television mast with its massive signal strength. But then they wouldn't be able to watch TV through their ugly TV aerials.

The ginger monkey

I always saw this site as a way to get/offer help/recommendations. With a bit of good humour thrown in. I'm sure more people would sign up to the weekly email if they just knew about it...And then join in.

Not sure that door to door is the answer but don't know what is though. But also, don't really like over-promoting the site via politicians or shops in case they then over-promote themselves...will mull it over.

@twinspark - take your point about the Arsenal website. But despite me being something of a fan I still forgot to give visitors parking vouchers when the Emirates Cup was on and they got fined. Hence my suggestion

tosscat

I never remember about Arsenal and I'm often caught out. I would subscribe just for that.

David

There's a big poster outside Wells Terrace entrance (and probably the other entrances too) stating the upcoming fixtures.

Reg

All the street lights on affected roads should glow red during a match and a town crier should march around announcing the fact. That is the only way that will work for me. I have subscribed to updates from Arsenal that I believe are aimed a residents but it's unreliable. Keep meaning to ask them to sort it out. Arsene, are you reading this?