The restructuring of the “old media” is underway at breakneck speed. Dummocrats post a link to an experiment being attempted by the Wisconsin State Journal.
Wisconsin Paper Lets Readers Choose Page One Stories: If you've ever wanted to pick the stories that appear on Page One, the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison is about to give you the power. Under a new initiative launched Monday, the 101,000-circulation daily will let readers vote on its Web site each day for the story they'd most like to see on the front page.What caught my eye was Managing Editor Tim Kelley expressing concern about “undermining traditional news judgment”, as if journalistic decision making was ever on par with medical, legal or any of the multiple forms of technical judgment. Let me illustrate the “traditional news judgment” of the Wisconsin State Journal.
Critics may resist what they see as a popularity contest undermining traditional news judgment," Kelley acknowledged. "But we aren't too worried that you'll be scribbling up our first draft of history with Paris Hilton's daily exploits. Our unscientific poll is just another way for you to tell us what you find to be the most important, interesting or vital information of the day."
Wisconsin called emerging biotech hot spot: Wisconsin is one of five emerging biotech hot spots to be detailed today by e-mail newsletter FierceBiotech, according to a Forbes.com story Tuesday. … Carroll said those areas provide financial support, such as tax grants and equity funding, and organizations to help biotechnology companies grow. But he conceded his choices are not based on scientific methodology. "This is not unlike judging dance contests based on audience applause. There is no particular algorithm," he told Forbes.com. "This is about chemistry as determined by FierceBiotech."Tim Kelley or some other editor approves publishing a e-mail newsletter piece about the Madison business climate that proclaims its own conclusions are “not unlike judging dance contests based on audience applause”. Journalism has always been about cherry picking the words and images to present to the public, and the reality is the blogosphere is destroying the old media monopoly on content selection. In an adapt or die world of commerce, it looks like the old media is deciding to embrace the blogs as just another legitimate source of words.
State Journal gives readers a voice in front page stories: Former Madison Mayor Paul Soglin gave the paper credit for trying to interact with readers but doubted whether this was the right way to do it. "Involvement is one thing; abdicating front page placement is another," he wrote on his blog.It makes you wonder if the newsprint factories can be quickly converted to toilet paper production.
Doyle's luck takes a turn: As the pseudonymous blogger Dennis York put it, "The $10,000 contribution from Craig Adelman has now guaranteed a half a million dollars' worth of ads run against Doyle. Hope it was worth it.
