Blogging: Just the beginning

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Everything changes when you make readers leaders

Dean Betz, online news editor
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Blogging Just the beginning

• Blogs
• Engaging our writers and our Web site more
  with readers

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Blogs
• Engaging our writers and our Web site more
  with readers
• Providing more perspective on topics than we
  could with our own staff alone

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Blogs
• Engaging our writers and our Web site more
  with readers
• Providing more perspective on topics than we
  could with our own staff alone
• Changing the way we cover news for the
  better

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Blogs
• Engaging our writers and our Web site more
  with readers
• Providing more perspective on topics than we
  could with our own staff alone
• Changing the way we cover news for the
  better
• The future? It's not about us. It's about the
  readers

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Blogging Just the beginning

• The staff

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Blogging Just the beginning

• The staff
• Blogging by reporters and editors

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Blogging Just the beginning

• The staff
• Blogging by reporters and editors
• Still the newspapers voice

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Blogging Just the beginning

• The staff
• Blogging by reporters and editors
• Still the newspapers voice
• First steps at building a relationship with the
  readers through comments and feedback

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Blogging Just the beginning

• MeMo

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Blogging Just the beginning

• MeMo
• Started as a daily commentary on popular culture
  for staff

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Blogging Just the beginning

• MeMo
• Started as a daily commentary on popular culture
  for staff
• Now one of sites most popular blogs, earned
  honors (including an EPpy) for its clever,
  oblique angle.

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Mama Drama

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Mama Drama
• Early step at giving community a voice

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Mama Drama
• Early step at giving community a voice
• Launched early 2006

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Mama Drama
• Early step at giving community a voice
• Launched early 2006
• Original videos, great comment-conversation

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Hurricane Rita

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Hurricane Rita
• Real-time reporting of storms approach, massive
  evacuation

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Hurricane Rita
• Real-time reporting of storms approach, massive
  evacuation
• Readers connect, share experiences in comments

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Blogging Just the beginning

• The Road Home

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Blogging Just the beginning

• The Road Home
• Readers report on evacuation via phone, e-mail,
  text

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Blogging Just the beginning

• The Road Home
• Readers report on evacuation via phone, e-mail,
  text
• Share tips on gas, supplies, highway congestion

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Blogging Just the beginning

• The Road Home
• Readers report on evacuation via phone, e-mail,
  text
• Share tips on gas, supplies, highway congestion
• Networked journalism on a simple scale

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Best blogs

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Best blogs
• "Number One the Houston Chronicle. By a mile"
• Relationship with readers Alternately inform,
  and be informed by them

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Best blogs
• Ease-of-use, clear navigation

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Best blogs
• Ease-of-use, clear navigation
• Currency

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Best blogs
• Ease-of-use, clear navigation
• Currency
• Quality of writing, thinking and linking

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Best blogs
• Ease-of-use, clear navigation
• Currency
• Quality of writing, thinking and linking
• Voice

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Best blogs
• Ease-of-use, clear navigation
• Currency
• Quality of writing, thinking and linking
• Voice
• Comments, reader participation

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Best blogs
• Ease-of-use, clear navigation
• Currency
• Quality of writing, thinking and linking
• Voice
• Comments, reader participation
• Range, originality

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Changing reporting

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Changing reporting
• Reporters blogged Enron trial live

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Changing reporting
• Reporters blogged Enron trial live
• Readers added depth via comments

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Changing reporting
• Reporters blogged Enron trial live
• Readers added depth via comments
• Back-and-forth grew into Ask Mary

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Readers add
• breadth

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Readers add breadth
• from pets

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Readers add breadth
• to guns

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Readers add breadth
• to gadgets

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Readers add breadth
• to faith

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Its not about us

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Its not about us
• Its about the network

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Its not about us
• Its about the network
• Tools for people to tell their own stories

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Its not about us
• Its about the network
• Tools for people to tell their own stories
• Make groups

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Blogging Just the beginning

• Its not about us
• Its about the network
• Tools for people to tell their own stories
• Make groups
• Drive the news