Comments on: In online reporting experiment, a good start is essential

By: Vern

Vern — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 02:06:09 +0000

Love the idea (even though I’m almost two weeks late on this post…such is the life). Hopefully I’ll be able to make it to the blog in the early going to hopefully combat the cancer that is pennlive commenters.

By: What newspapers can learn from readers, railroads and libraries « Save the Media

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 01:00:52 +0000

[...] reporting: Daniel Victor, of the Harrisburg Patriot-News, is experimenting with using readers as assigning edit… It’s a novel idea, and there’s much I like about it. The best ideas come from readers. [...]

By: Kate

Kate — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 15:55:05 +0000

Excited for the launch of this project, and I wish you luck. It reminds me of the concept behind one of my favorite podcasts, Open Source with Christopher Lydon. Although it doesn’t completely work this way in its current incarnation, they used to present a few ideas for shows, or take suggestions for show concepts, and would collect comments for a while for listener ideas or angles. Then they would record a podcast with a few interviews from experts, but would also include and base their questions around actual comments that were left on the blog. It always gave a nice juxtaposition between the experts and the “real people” listening.

By: Gina Chen

Gina Chen — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 01:41:49 +0000

This community-directed reporting sounds like an interesting idea. I wish you luck.

I think you’re right to create a culture early or else you end up with a blog comment ghetto, not a true conversation. Yes, that ghetto can form anyway, but I think if you constantly monitor it, you have a better shot at deterring it.

By: Run Up The Score

Run Up The Score — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:35:10 +0000

Not to draw you further into a conversation about awful PennLive.com commenters, but let’s be serious, whenever a story generates more than five comments, it inevitably turns toward the racist and/or generally ignorant. Unfortunately, they require constant moderation.

And for a good lead on a photo, I’ll suggest the graffiti on a wall at 7th and Maclay that says “I’m a human being, my life has value!”