SMC315 Grid, Openfile

SMC315 Monday, October 17, 2011 Grid originate from iWeekly, weekly publication era coming to a close • • dying medium, competition from internet sources • paper as paper product -> out of date • attempt to take these factors into account, relaunch and revamp website • community and neighbourhood features, daily updates • stringers - freelance reporters, tips and local news • rethinking twitter/fb social media techniques • multiple overlapping audiences • print + digital publication • blogging OpenFile • newspapers profit from ad • online ad early 2000, ad revenue dropping • OpenFile: community-powered news, online only • funded by venture capital and advertising • target advertising by offering information of members • launched in 2010 Toronto, open up in various other cities across Canada idea of citizen tipping information; not citizen journalism but citizen-enabled • • suggested stories; stories can’t be “stolen” because already there • not scalping but put together • open newsroom; traditionally closed and secretive/protective news topic and writer listed with email; encourage journalists to interact with public, • instant connection • Register Citizen Newsroom Cafe; wifi, cheap coffee, open newsroom • increasingly more on facebook; where readers are • Ben Huh and end of content, network like failblog; citizen driven • huge amount of data created and shared daily... emails, photos, texts, twitter • facebook 4 billion pieces of content every day • trivial photos (cat and bacon) > news • cute cat theory of digital activism: Ethan Zukerman of MIT... web 1.0 invented to allow