We have an incredible opportunity, now we have to figure out what to make of it. I hope to begin a conversation about what we want to accomplish with BarCamp NewsInnovation.

The plan so far is to hold regional BarCamps in Chicago, Portland and Washington, D.C. sometime in January. I have proposed other sites but have not had volunteers step forward just yet and roll with it. If you are interested contact me.

I also am proposing we hold national BarCamp NewsInnovation in Philadelphia, spearheaded by ideas floated by Sean Blanda, sometime in April.

I feel the timing is perfect. As the media industry continues to move along with no implemented solutions to solving revenue and audience issues, we have a chance to make a significant, lasting contribution. With that comes a high level of responsibility too. Most importantly, the timing is right to act.

David Cohn commented recently that, “This isn’t just about evangelism anymore – it is about making the logical decision.” I go one step further. It’s not only making the decision, but then acting on it, trying something quickly , failing and then learning and adapting. Wouldn’t it be cool if BarCamp NewsInnovation spurred the newspaper industry’s first research and development lab?

Look at what I was able to witness this week. Six journalism students, Team Crunchberry, introduced newsmixer.us, a project in collaboration with Gazette Communications. In just 12 weeks, the team could very well have revolutionized the way people engage and interact with news.

We don’t have to be perfect when it comes to BarCamp NewsInnovation, but we do have to be diligent and come away with a direct course of action that can inspire new tasks and behaviors.

So what is it that we should focus on? What is the job to be done? Should we look at changing the way news organizations create information? What should we do with the talk about the news as components: sources, facts, ideas, opinions and readers? Can we solve the business model riddle? What am I missing?

Here are some other ideas offered by some smart people. Again, I hope this becomes an open conversation. Please comment Most of what is below you can find on the BarCamp NewsInnovation wiki site.

  • Chuck Peters: I am hopeful that all of this work focuses on what the ultimate consumers of the information are looking for. I, for one, am trying how to make sense of the inputs possible in what can be a nauseating cacophony of information.
  • Matt Neznanski: I’m thinking that a healthy amount of problem-solving and best practices would be most helpful.
  • Ryan Sholin: Talk about what’s working in your organization, whether it’s a tool, a story form, or a way of getting reporters, editors, or ad salespeople to use new tools and story forms. Talk about what’s missing in your organization, what you need help with, what you wish were easier. Break into birds-of-a-feather groups based on those first two data points, where the haves help the have-nots. Ideally, build prototypes to show off back home. If what you need is a niche social network, you should walk away from this meeting with something to show off in a meeting when you get back to your newsroom. (Whether it’s a live, branded Ning site or a Drupal install on your laptop.) No panels, no keynotes, maybe some short, Pecha Kucha presentations to get through points 1. and 2.
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