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The media becomes an activist for democracy
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May 13, 2013, 11:46 a.m.
LINK: www.fastcolabs.com  ➚   |   Posted by: Caroline O'Donovan   |   May 13, 2013

FastCo.Labs is experimenting with what it calls “slow liveblogging,” an approach to writing that takes a cue from Wikipedia. Stories start as “stubs” and are gradually lengthened over time. What they found was that drawing out the life of a story by constantly updating it caused readers to stay on the site longer.

Author Chris Dannen conflates quality with length, which is problematic, but the traffic metrics are nonetheless interesting, as is the discussion of how to build a more adaptable CMS.

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The media becomes an activist for democracy
“We cannot be neutral about this, by definition. A free press that doesn’t agitate for democracy is an oxymoron.”
Embracing influencers as allies
“News organizations will increasingly rely on digital creators not just as amplifiers but as integral partners in storytelling.”
Action over analysis
“We’ve overindexed on problem articulation, to the point of problem admiring. The risk is that we are analyzing ourselves into inaction and irrelevance.”