REMINDER: The deadline for the 2004 APME journalism excellence contests is fast approaching. Entries should be postmarked no later than June 1 and received at APME's office in New York by June 7. Click here to find out more.
|
READERS ON THE SPOT
Al Tompkins of Poynter.org had an excellent column May 10 titled "The Accidental Photojournalist." He described how a citizen armed with a camera phone shot pictures of a fighter jet crash in Virginia. The citizen then emailed the pictures to WSLS in Roanoke. Are you prepared to handle phone calls and e-mail messages from readers with images of breaking news? Do you actively solicit contributions from readers? Maybe you should!
MEMORIAL DAY INTERACTIVITY
Here are a few ideas for how to interact with readers for Memorial Day special remembrances:
- The News & Record of Greensboro, N.C., is running short bios and photos (when available) of all the veterans who graduated from local high schools and who died in wars in the 20th century. The Arizona Daily Star in Tucson and The Greeley (Colo.) Tribune are doing similar projects.
- The Gazette of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has a portfolio of reader-submitted photographs and brief biographies of all area soldiers (regular military, guard and reserve) who are serving in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait. These are offered online and the package is occasionally updated. They also have published these bios a few at a time in a daily section.
- In Spokane, Wash., The Spokesman-Review plans to publish thumbnail photos along with brief biographical information for each of the U.S. military members who have died in Iraq. This information already is available on the Web site. It could take six or so pages of newsprint to publish the entire list.
Do you have a different plan you'd like to share? Tell us.
RESPECTABILITY AND CIVILITY
Many news sites have published forum standards to try to persuade readers to behave in a civil manner. They often don't work. One amateur news site, CommandPost.org, has published a very specific, very personal appeal to readers to behave respectably. They seem to have better luck getting readers to cooperate. OTHER COOL STUFF: J-Lab, the Institute for Interactive Journalism, has a collection of interesting Web interactive projects.
FEATURED WEB SITE
The Rochester (N.Y.) Democrat and Chronicle put together an interesting online package: "A day in the life of our schools." In addition to repurposing the print stories in the series, the Web site features audio, flash presentations and other cool stuff. Are you doing some cool that should be recognized? Tell us.
The online portion of today's edition was written by Ken Sands, managing editor of online and new media, The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash., and a member of the APME Board of Directors.
|
COOPERATION KUDOS: MEMBERS CONTRIBUTE TO AP REPORTS
AP member newspapers, broadcast stations and online sites are the local eyes and ears of the world-wide news cooperative, contributing tips, stories and photographs to improve the content available to all members. These members will receive APME Instant Citations for their assistance on recent stories:
- The Paducah (Ky.) Sun for sharing on a busy primary election day the story of a mix-up that kept some races off local voting machines. Photographer Stephen Lance Dennee also quickly transmitted accompanying photos.
- Vincennes (Ind.) Sun-Commercial for transmitting three photos showing wreckage from the collision of two military jet fighters May 17 in southwest Indiana. The afternoon newspaper, recognizing the national significance of the story, made the photos available for use by other AP members two news cycles before it could publish them itself.
- The Philadelphia Inquirer for providing a photograph of a tearful Sara Berg pleading with news media to stay away from the funeral and memorial service for her brother, Nick, beheaded by Iraqi militants. Images from this story have been extremely competitive, and the Inquirer shared the photo with other AP members hours before it could use the image itself. The Daily Local News of West Chester, Pa., also will be cited for voluntarily faxing to AP the funeral home notice it received for the Berg services.
- The Star Press of Muncie, Ind., for transmitting two photographs from introduction of the new president of Ball State University. The paper made the images available in time for use by all other morning newspapers.
- The Times-Reporter of Martinsville, Ind., for quickly sharing information and photographs after an explosion at a barn that injured five people.
- The Daily American Republic in Poplar Bluff, Mo., for alerting AP to a set of military orders calling on 17,000 Army reservists to undergo screening for recall to active duty. The story was further evidence of steps to increase American military strength in Iraq. Managing Editor Stan Berry passed along the tip so AP could confirm it with national sources, knowing the story could not be confirmed in time for his own deadline.
- The Recorder of San Francisco where reporter Justin Norton called to alert the San Francisco AP bureau to an announcement by the Santa Clara County District Attorney that an arrest had been made in the infamous kidnapping and murder of Xiana Fairchild. This heads up gave AP a jump on the story.
Previous issues:
|
