Pitching Newspaper Editors on Citizen Journalism

That's what I'll do later today on the opening plenary panel at the annual convention of the American Society of Newspaper Editors. The ASNE is the trade organization for the top editors at U.S. newspapers, and an audience well worth a two-day cross-country trip to pitch on the virtues of grassroots media.

I'm going to say what I always say: that this is too important for their future to ignore, and that it's going to happen with or without them -- and that newspapers, almost uniquely, have the ability to be the leaders in this new marketplace of ideas given their already strong presence in local communities.

Comments

[Karen M.]

I read this earlier: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/nation/columns/kurtzhoward/
and would be interested in your comments after your talk at ASNE.

[Ken Jones]

Dan - thanks for getting out there and doing the education for a blossoming concept that is quickly becoming reality. Any feedback from the convention would be greatly appreciated.

[JennyD]

Dan, I'd love to hear about the response from ASNE attendees....

[Dan Gillmor]

Jenny, I had to leave right afterward, but the immediate feedback seemed positive (though the editor of a Big City Daily Newspaper studiously ignored me in a small group of people right outside the room...