Sex sells

Add comment March 30th, 2009

What will save newspapers? This is one songwriter’s take, in a 36C.

Election site is now live

2 comments March 26th, 2009

If you haven’t had a chance to check out our Election 2009 site, please do. You’ll find stories, endorsements, columns and letters that support local candidates. The site also offers our voter guide, which you can use to make side-by-side comparisons of the candidates. Also, look to us on Election Day for complete coverage and results.

Redefine journalism? No. ‘Redefine our work flow’

4 comments March 26th, 2009

My boss shared this with newsroom staffers last night.

Got me thinking. What if I were a reader and not a journalist? How would I consume news? Would I pick up a newspaper if I didn’t work here? Would I go to rrstar.com if I didn’t work here? Hmmm. I am pretty sure I would do the latter. It’s hard to take that journalist out of me, but I can try.

Just this morning, I told a non journalist that I expect us to have news on our Web site as close to immediately after it happens. I like to think that when something happens, the first place people will look for information is at rrstar.com or one of our sister sites. I realize there are many places to get information. I want our Web sites to be the go-to places for news as it happens.

So, the question is how do we redefine work flow to ensure we are the go-to place for info? It’s a good question. One that we are constantly asking.

I’ll share the following from the blog post below. Take a minute to read it and let me know what you think. Do you think journalism is still relevant?

“I’ve been paying attention how we absorb news and information. Newspapers do not control the flow of information anymore. By the time I get my newspaper I have learned about 90 percent of what’s in that paper someplace else. I’ve read it on the newspaper Web site, picked it up on the national news or I’ve picked it up on the street. I’ve been more aware of informal listening posts in the community, like doctor’s office or social groups, places where information is circulated.”

“I’d advise print leaders to take the best of our traditions - the critical thinking skills and news gathering skills and source building - and apply that to the Web and ditch all the other conventions of the craft,” she said. “Yes, the business model needs to be fixed, as does the general economy, but journalists (the real ones) are more important than ever.”

“We don’t need to redefine journalism in order to compete or survive. We need to redefine our work flow, not our values or news judgment. If it really is about delivering and interpreting information, then we must be platform agnostic mercenaries. Serve readers wherever they are. Period.”

Compare the candidates

Add comment March 24th, 2009

It’s two weeks until Election Day, and you can now compare candidates in Rock River Valley races. You’ll find a widget at the top of the rrstar.com home page, or you can go here. We’ve partnered with a company called e.thePeople.

We’ll introduce you to our election site soon. We’re working out some minor bugs and plan to launch later today.

Need help rounding making your NCAA picks?

Add comment March 18th, 2009

I can’t promise you our guys are the experts on March Madness bracket building, but you’ll probably enjoy listening to them talk strategy. Don’t take my word for it, though.

Take a listen to college sports reporter Jay Taft, copy editor Matt Torman, multimedia editor Billy Kulpa and business reporter/database editor/perennial rec-league basketball sixth man Alex Gary talk about their key matchups and who they like in this year’s Final Four.

Kudos to Billy Kulpa for coming up with the idea and executing it. Oh, and, to the other guys for playing along.

Let the madness begin

Add comment March 17th, 2009

This week, rrstar.com launched Bracket Challenge, an online contest where you try to pick the winners in the NCAA basketball tournament to compete for national and local prizes.

Just fill out the drag-and-drop brackets, which offer more info on the teams if you need it. You also can sign up for mobile alerts and interact with “smack talk” as you see the leaderboard going. If you want, you can encourage your friends by sharing through Facebook or other sites.

Locally, you can win a Cub Cadet lawn mower from Tractor Town, a theme park package or a $50 gift certificate to Lino’s.

Nationally, you can win a trip to Las Vegas during the opening of the 2010 tournament.

Remember: You only have two days left.

Reminder: Get to know Rockford superintendent finalist

Add comment March 16th, 2009

Come back to us at 2:45 p.m. today to watch live video of our meeting with LaVonne Sheffield, finalist for the Rockford School District’s top job. We’ll let you ask questions, too. Just be sure to give your first and last name when submitting your questions. We’ll ask as many as we can. We’ve got 30 minutes with Sheffield.

You can meet Rockford superintendent finalist on rrstar.com

Add comment March 13th, 2009

On Monday from 2:45-3:30 p.m., you’ll be able to watch Editorial Page Editor Wally Haas host a coffee-talk-type chat with LaVonne Sheffield, the finalist for Rockford School District’s top job.

We had a lot of interest in our mayoral debate video stream that we thought we would try this again.

Visit us on rrstar.com Monday at 2:45. You’ll be able to submit questions and comment live during the conversation. If you can’t be with us then, we’ll offer a replay of the video and chat immediately following the conversation.

Watch Rockford mayoral candidates debate

Add comment March 13th, 2009

There were two great opportunities this week to learn more about the candidates in the upcoming Rockford mayoral and aldermanic elections.

The Register Star Editorial Board presented a 90-minute live broadast on rrstar.com Tuesday afternoon featuring our four mayoral candidates. If you missed it, you can still see the video and chat replays.

Next Rockford hosted an aldermanic forum last night at Heartland Church. Next Rockford was gracious enough to allow us to stream the forum live on rrstar.com last night. Thanks a bunch. Video replay of that event is expected to be available Monday. I’ll give you a link when we get it.

I’m not alone

Add comment March 12th, 2009

On the Go Green blog, that is.

Starting this week, members of the Local Foods Work Group will write weekly about eating locally. Margaret Larson summed it up pretty well in her entry:

Our members will be sharing information from their world of local food, focusing on topics such as eating seasonally,  food preservation, nutrition, grower’s concerns and triumphs, livestock production, local foods issues such as food security and access, the ins and outs of farmers markets, how to get to know your farmer…..the list goes on and on. We’ll also announce our related activities and events and highlight opportunities for you to learn more — right here, each week.

Of course, if you are someone who has “green” expertise to share, I’m open to considering you as a guest blogger, too. Let me know!