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News Challenge - ideas please
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>;
Comments
It'd be like a community newspaper written by the community.
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
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.
We should give him/her a secret ear-piece to receive our instructions, and broadcast the fun
<a href="
- 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.
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.
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?
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.
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?!
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.
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).
Right, kids?
<img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45696000/jpg/_45696947_rick_bbc_226.jpg"></img>
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