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What are community blogs? Community blogs are blogs that members of the community — not your staff — are writing and posting on your Web site. They can be blogs that are currently being produced in your community that you link to on your Web site or blogs that leaders or members of your community write specifically for your Web site.
Why are community blogs important? Community blogs add a unique voice that your staff blogs don’t. When you pick the right bloggers or content, you add to a portfolio of local experts who can speak on relevant issues, furthering your site as a destination for your community to visit.
Who are potential community bloggers? There are many opportunities, and the list varies based on your community.
• An artist on the local arts and theater scene.
• A first-year teacher on his or her new experiences.
• A local soldier deployed overseas or his or her family member on life on the homefront.
• A commercial fisherman on the ins and outs of the business.
Notables:
Some of the community leaders you connect with as part of the Community Partner Journalism program could be candidates for blogging.
Will we have to pay the bloggers? This will be a local decision, but we encourage newsrooms to work with bloggers and potential bloggers who simply want exposure for themselves or their organizations – those who want to share their news and thoughts on the most relevant local news and information site in their community.
Should we provide guidelines for community bloggers? Yes. Before setting up a community blogger, each would agree to consistent posts — at least three posts a week. Community bloggers' posts will be brief observations on community issues and events.
Will newsrooms clear the posts? There may be cases — a young student blogger, for example — in which an editor will want to review posts before they go live. In such cases, the blogger would e-mail the editor or designated staffer the contributions on specific days for you to review and then post. But in almost all cases, bloggers you choose would be cleared to post directly to their blogs.
What are community blogs? Community blogs are blogs that members of the community — not your staff — are writing and posting on your Web site. They can be blogs that are currently being produced in your community that you link to on your Web site or blogs that leaders or members of your community write specifically for your Web site.
Why are community blogs important? Community blogs add a unique voice that your staff blogs don’t. When you pick the right bloggers or content, you add to a portfolio of local experts who can speak on relevant issues, furthering your site as a destination for your community to visit.
Who are potential community bloggers? There are many opportunities, and the list varies based on your community.
• An artist on the local arts and theater scene.
• A first-year teacher on his or her new experiences.
• A local soldier deployed overseas or his or her family member on life on the homefront.
• A commercial fisherman on the ins and outs of the business.
Notables:
Some of the community leaders you connect with as part of the Community Partner Journalism program could be candidates for blogging.
Will we have to pay the bloggers? This will be a local decision, but we encourage newsrooms to work with bloggers and potential bloggers who simply want exposure for themselves or their organizations – those who want to share their news and thoughts on the most relevant local news and information site in their community.
Should we provide guidelines for community bloggers? Yes. Before setting up a community blogger, each would agree to consistent posts — at least three posts a week. Community bloggers' posts will be brief observations on community issues and events.
Will newsrooms clear the posts? There may be cases — a young student blogger, for example — in which an editor will want to review posts before they go live. In such cases, the blogger would e-mail the editor or designated staffer the contributions on specific days for you to review and then post. But in almost all cases, bloggers you choose would be cleared to post directly to their blogs.
