A specifications document we'd love to fill

As mentioned below, Jay Rosen and Mark Glaser teamed up for a post about a vision for a new-look media company for today. In the post, Glaser outlined his vision and Rosen graciously pointed to us as one potential answer to that vision (in italics; my notes in Roman):

• A news outlet that creates new content, aggregates the best outside content, and makes sense of everything, presenting it in a clear, simple format for the consumption of everyone.
  That's our plan: create hyperlocal content and aggregate the rest.

• A company founded on the values of serving the public and allowing the public to serve journalism by participating in all discussions of mission and direction.
  Check.

• A company that answers directly to its readers and consumers and doesn't talk down to them from editorial ivory towers.
  Amen.
  

• A company that is focused on the value of journalism, the practice, and not only of marketing and stock dividends.
  See the article that inspired me to stop talking and start launching.

• A group of like-minded people who are willing to start from scratch and build a new way of doing smart, groundbreaking citizen journalism. Not too amateur, not too professional but something in between.
  I like the way he put that. Much smarter than the old pergorative we had about a hybrid of journalism and blogging.

• A company that is flexible and knowledgeable, with people who "get it" and understand how they can tap the latest technology to improve the craft of journalism -- and help it survive. These new journalists would blend the research done online via search and databases, the production process of a content management system, the community involvement of bulletin boards and wikis, and the delivery mechanisms of RSS, blogs and mobile platforms. Rather than teach old dogs new tricks, employ techno-literate people from inception. The "everyone gets it" company.
  That's what our plan says. Those are the kind of people we have so far. I hope that this round of press attracts others.

• A commitment to provide more transparency for all writers and editors, including political leanings, conflicts of interest and other details that will help readers know who they are. A balance of privacy for journalists with the public's need to know who they are and where they come from.
  See The Objectivity Myth. See the broad map of our editorial workflow model (clickable) below.
  

  

• A staff and board of advisers of englightened media people and bloggers such as Jeff Jarvis, Jay Rosen, Elizabeth Osder, Susan Mernit, Matt Welch, Howard Owens, Robert Cox, Steve Rubel, John Battelle, James Lileks, Bob Somerby, Dan Gillmor, and many others who walk the talk.
  Thirteen names. So far eight have read/followed some piece of our work and/or advised us. Ten are quoted in our business plan. We're working on the rest. I think it would be presumptuous on my part to say that I'd hire any of them. I'd welcome any of them as partners or advisors.
  
  Just as importantly, many other smart folks who aren't on this list have contributed to our plan. Most of them you've never heard of, but they've been sweating away in the media machine for some time, looking for a better way.
  
  Also, in terms of inspirations outside this list, I'd add Tim Oren, Tim Porter, Evelyn Rodriguez, Russell Buckley, Sammy Papert, Ed Cone,  Alan Nelson,  Vin Crosbie and Hugh MacLeod.

• A company where journalists follow the spirit of the rules and ethics of journalism -- and not the letter, as fundamentalists would.
  Testify, brother.

• A company where people realize that the Web audience is potentially global and therefore work together to create stories and packages that cross national and cultural boundaries.
  This is the only point where we're not entirely in synch. It's not that I disagree with the premise, but I think we're going to have to pick our shots early on. And I think local is where we can get the most bang for our bang.

• A place where news will be a conversation and not a one-way lecture. Where the readers will also report, edit, fact-check and photograph the world around them.
  Exactly.

I'd also add:

• A place that makes communities better by utilizing the Long Tail to engage readers and advertisers who currently face barriers to entry that keep them out of the conversation.

So, Mark. So, Jay. So, media community. So, community. Where do we go from here? Will you engage in the conversation? Will you contribute to our open source launch?

We want to be the media company that you want to work for.

Not someday,

But now.

Comments

[Russell Buckley]

Thanks for the mention, especially in such exalted company :-)

Let me know if I can help.

Russell/

[curt]

Regarding this: “people who ‘get it’ and understand how they can tap the latest technology to improve the craft of journalism -- and help it survive.” I love the info-at-your-fingertips (not to mention press-at-your-fingertips) of the latest technology. But one thing that is under-emphasized in blogging/citizen journalism and that traditional journalism does best (when it bothers to do it at all which it often doesn’t): getting out of your chair and hitting the streets. As a citizen journalist/blogger/whatchamajigger, don’t just link & quote, don’t just pull together info from databases (though I love those things), and don’t even just make a phone call (though please at least do that). Get up, get on your feet, on your bike, on your horse or Segway or skateboard, or in your car and go to where you can look at your subject with your own eyes; interview people face-to-face. Not only does it make the piece live, it is WAY MORE FUN.

I’m just sayin’ is all…

And regarding “A balance of privacy for journalists with the public's need to know who they are and where they come from,” what about insisting that all contributors first contribute (and then maintain) a profile in which they make a good faith attempt to posit some foundational ideas that they bring with them and that will influence what they cover, if not how. (“Hi, I’m Andre, I’m an anarcho-syndicalist goat-roper. I hate imminent domain but I love micro-lending.”)

“…the Web audience is potentially global and therefore work together to create stories and packages that cross national and cultural boundaries.” This answers my earlier question under Fixing Neighborhoods.