Ideas to Improve Journalism

1. Start early

I believe Corinne mentioned something similar in class and I thought it was a good idea so I''ll share my thoughts on the subject. Since journalism is heavily switching over to the Internet, why not take advantage of the kids who these days practically come out of the womb knowing how to work an iPhone. Even if a specific interest in journalism isn't realized yet, teaching kids how to write, interview and post online will benefit many careers later on. It will also give them a chance to learn to differentiate between solid news sources and randos with a blog.

2. Make online content the same price as buying a newspaper

A lot of people tend to freak out when a newspaper's website requires a subscription, but if newspapers are going the way of the record player and land line telephone, it needs to happen. What I've seen recently are sites that give you three articles free before making you pay. While good in theory, most people (including myself) just read the three and hop to a different source. If that option is unappealing, offer extras that come only with a paid subscription for online content.

3. Tighter regulation

This is an idea I've been playing around with and I'm not exactly sure what I think should happen. Some form of new regulation needs to be formed specifically to deal with online news content. First of all, I feel that a lot of the issues with making online news profitable is the wide openness of the Internet. Obviously, making rules about what can and cannot go online starts an unpleasant conversation about freedom. Unfortunately, since all signs point to a future of paperless journalism, this has to be something to think about. What if online news content from news organization were treated the same way as their paper component? Certain things would and would not be tolerated and legitimacy would be key. News sources should be allowed to be business online as much as they are in a print.

4. Keep the paper format online

Since  many  people like the format of the newspaper and many reports like writing for a newspaper format, why not have more e-versions available? I know the Globe have an e-version that comes with an online subscription. I like to use it in order to find sections of the paper easier and I definitely like to have the option.

5. Pair reporters with local bloggers

One idea to get better and closer local coverage is to have trained reporters work with a volunteer blogger to generate more content for a lower price. The reporter can help the blogger with the basics and advise her on stories to cover in the community. This may be irksome for reporters, but once the blogger is on her feet she could work more independently and use her reporter as a mentor.