Just Thoughts...

So I struggled to define exactly what this new online news service is . So far I got--it's a non-profit, local/hyperlocal, online news provider/aggregator. If that is not complicated enough, my group talked about using social networking sites, embedding video and podcasts, allowing for some citizen journalists and possibly crowd-sourcing by allowing comments on articles.

I am particulary interested more in the social networking stuff. Meaning how do we use sites like Fb, Twitter, Myspace, etc. to not only attract web news surfers but also retain a loyal user base. Should we follow the business model that other online start-ups are using or should a news site like this be more traditional with its approach and allow the content to attract people on its own.

This week I will be looking at how other local/hyperlocal news siteshave incorporated video, how they have appealed to their users through social networking sites and what the "promise," "tool" and "bargain " are of some of the other social news/community news sites.