There was a time when my daughter, little pistol that she is, would only let her mom read her bedtime stories. Eventually, because I wasn’t going to take “no” for an answer, I convinced her to let me read her one book. But only one book, she said. So after several months of taking turns with her mom, I was still stuck reading the same book every other night.
That was a few years ago, but last week my daughter (who is now 6) asked me to read that book again. It’s called The Important Book and is so simple, so elegant, it’s genius. (The author is also responsible for Goodnight Moon, another timeless classic.) Here’s a taste:
The important thing about a spoon is that you eat with it.
You hold it in your hand,
It’s like a little shovel,
You can put it in your mouth,
It isn’t flat,
It’s hollow,
And it spoons things up.
But the important thing about a spoon is that you eat with it.
Since I’ve been thinking about the Online News Association conference in San Francisco this week, the two subjects collided in my brain. I instantly wondered if you could apply one to the other, so after a few tries, here is my attempt to summarize the importance of ONA and all its members while paying tribute to Margaret Wise Brown, one of the greatest children’s authors of all time.
The Important Thing About Online News
The important thing about online news is that it is timely.
It comes from many sources,
It’s massive and it can come at you like a flood.
But the important thing about online news is that it is timely
The important thing about online news is that it is interactive.
You can search it,
Sort it,
Tweet it,
Email it,
and trash it.
But the important thing about online news is that it is interactive.
The important thing about online news is that it is innovative.
It looks like blogging and podcasting,
It gets mashed up on maps and in databases,
And is done by startups and big companies at the same time.
But important thing about online news is that it is innovative.
The important thing about online news is that it is wherever you are.
Some people say “if the news is important, it will find me,”
And it does.
It can be delivered to any digital device or through any social network,
But the Important important thing about online news is that it is wherever you are.
The important thing about online news is that it is a successful business.
It has created more opportunities than it has destroyed,
It’s why billions of dollars are spent on digital advertising every year,
And it is just getting started.
But the important thing about online news is that it is a successful business.
The important thing about online news is that it is evolving.
It isn’t what it was,
And it isn’t what it is going to be.
So the important thing about online news is that it is evolving.
Thanks for indulging me. Writing a children’s book would be a lot harder than it looks. If you think this was a fun read, please share it with others who would enjoy it, too.
And thanks to everyone who pitched in and volunteered their time and energy to make this week’s ONA conference a reality. If you’re not able to attend, follow the Twitterstream or livestreaming keynotes. With more than 1,000 people gathering (third straight sell-out), it’s clear that online news is certainly important.
Mark Briggs 
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