Like a lot of people, Ben Ilfeld and Geoff Samek were frustrated with the quality and quantity of local news available in their town. And, like more and more entrepreneurial journalists, the duo decided to turn frustration into opportunity by launching a new local news site to fill that perceived gap. But this is no […]
Archive for the ‘Entrepreneurial journalism’ Category
Mark Briggs 
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September 9th, 2009
Got a great idea? Pitch it at ONA conference
Do you have a great idea for an innovative product or business? Are you a media entrepreneur? Come pitch your idea at ONA to a panel of seasoned Silicon Valley venture capitalists and media entrepreneurs for the chance to meet with a product developer and a VC. Susan Mernit and I are helping to coordinate […]
September 1st, 2009
Startup news site rocking the boat in Portland
Do a couple of self-proclaimed tech guys/news junkies stand a chance competing in a crowded online news media field? While it doesn’t seem plausible, the digital age has made it possible. And sometimes, that’s enough. In Portland, Ore., the landscape is already crowded with stalwarts Willamette Week and the Portland Tribune and upstarts Portland Sentinel […]
August 31st, 2009
Chaos shouldn’t cloud current opportunity in hyperlocal
Last Friday, John Cook published a Q&A on TechFlash.com where I discussed the state of hyperlocal (and my own transition from journalist to entrepreneur). The post elicited an email from a weekly newspaper publisher who asked many probing questions. In an attempt to open up the discussion on the current and future business opportunities of […]
August 26th, 2009
Live chat: Transforming the business of news
Looking for insight on the changing business of news? Well, if you are a member of the American Society of News Editors (or know someone who is), check out the live chat tomorrow for discussion of ways to transform the news business. I’ll be joining a rock-star panel that includes Steve Outing, Dan Conover and […]
August 19th, 2009
DailyMe brings ‘passive personalization’ to news, publishers
Personalized news has been around for almost a decade. But building a business around the concept meant high expectations that users would take the time to build their news experience around their personal tastes. Welcome to the era of “passive personalization” in news, courtesy of DailyMe.com, a 14-person company based in Florida led by online […]
August 10th, 2009
Print magazine puts company on fast track
As far as entrepreneurial opportunities go, launching a new print magazine seems a few years behind the times. Launching it from a dorm room while you’re still in college makes the odds of success even longer. Which is why I love stories like this so much. Last weekend at Digital Journalism Camp Portland, I had […]
July 23rd, 2009
What can journalism learn from I Can Has Cheezburger?
Editor’s Note: This is the second of two guest posts by Scott Porad, who is part of the team behind I Can Has Cheezburger? and the Cheezburger Network, the leading online destination for user-generated humor and entertainment content. Previously I addressed the misconception that user-generated content is free. To make user-generated content work, Cheezburger expends […]
July 22nd, 2009
The Catch with User-Generated Content
Editor’s Note: I Can Has Cheezburger? and Failblog.org anchor the Cheezburger Network–the leading online destination for user-generated humor and entertainment content. As part of the team behind Cheezburger, I asked Scott Porad if he would share how some of their experiences might be relevant to the future of journalism. This post is the first of […]
June 26th, 2009
Build an ‘insanely great’ news web site
In the past 10 years, I’ve been involved in countless discussions about new and innovative ways to do journalism online. Staff meetings, editors retreats, conference panel discussions, workshops and on and on. Not once did I hear anyone set the goal as high as building an “insanely great web service,” as this excellent piece from […]
