Just Another Newspaper?
Interesting article in todays Stribune about Minnpost.com - the soon to be released vehicle for former StarTribbers and others.
These guys may be in trouble. Do they really think that up to now the internet has been “just for kids”? Many of us adults have made the transition from typewriters (IBM Selectrics and carbon paper in my first post-college office job) to computers years ago. Does Minnpost really think the internet is one big Myspace culture – full of crazy kids text-messaging each other and sharing videos on YouTube?
A “second read” – must be conceding “first read” status to “the kids”. So they will publish once a day, and not on weekends? Why go online? Sounds like a newspaper to me.
Oh – I see. It’s still a newspaper. Looks like they have a lot of great writers signed on, why don't they let them loose and see what they can really do?
Minnpost.com hopes to prove that the Internet isn't just for kids anymore. The news website, scheduled to debut this week, will rely heavily on veteran Minnesota journalists, many of whom were on the job when typewriters were all the rage.
These guys may be in trouble. Do they really think that up to now the internet has been “just for kids”? Many of us adults have made the transition from typewriters (IBM Selectrics and carbon paper in my first post-college office job) to computers years ago. Does Minnpost really think the internet is one big Myspace culture – full of crazy kids text-messaging each other and sharing videos on YouTube?
During an Oct. 24 launch party, founder Joel Kramer, a former Star Tribune publisher, told visitors to think of this nonprofit project more as a magazine (Slate, Salon) than a newspaper (Star Tribune, Pioneer Press) with a heavy emphasis on personalities. "We're designing ourselves to be a second read," Kramer said. With that in mind, the bulk of new material will post around 11 a.m. every weekday (for the most part, no publishing on the weekend).
A “second read” – must be conceding “first read” status to “the kids”. So they will publish once a day, and not on weekends? Why go online? Sounds like a newspaper to me.
"We're going to focus on lunchtime when we will be the new information," he said. For those who prefer their info the old-fashioned way, hard copies will be available in high-traffic areas in the Twin Cities. Kramer is hoping that companies will reprint these copies on their own and distribute them to their employees. Lots of talent on board, but if you go by the party refreshments -- cheap wine and warm Coronas -- it's going to be a fly-by-the-seat-of-your pants experiment
Oh – I see. It’s still a newspaper. Looks like they have a lot of great writers signed on, why don't they let them loose and see what they can really do?
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