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Former Chicago Tribune newsman John McCarron gets grumpy about the near-total lack of coverage when FDIC Chair Sheila Bair came to town last week. He's coming around to the idea that someone may have to jump in and create new ways to cover important issues.
Big story in town but (almost) nobody covers it
communitybeat.blogspot.com - 33 weeks ago - 485 views
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This was a very good read. I know nothing about housing policy or real estate or any that stuff but was able to follow along alright.
The writer, a former correspondent for the Tribune, explains how his attitude has shifted in recent years toward the idea of starting a web-first news service focused on local housing issues. He thought it was a stupid idea at first, but as the two big papers in Chicago continued to lay people off, he's come around to the idea and offers some suggestions on where it could find funding and how many people it would need.
Here's my question: Who would this be for? As much as the average guy agrees with the statement that "people are better off when they have a decent place to live" that person's not going to jump at the chance to read news about local housing. So is this ultra-niche, supported completely by the goodwill of well-off parties who share this interest? Of will there be some light stuff to draw the average person in?
I guess what I'm asking is, how will this not be extremely dry?
We, in fact, covered it:
http://www.chitowndailynews.org/Chicago_news/Local_housing_activists_hon...
Ah, very interesting. Maybe you guys should send a note over to the author of this piece with the link.
Well, first of all, yes, Megan Cottrell and the other reporters and editors at Chi-Town Daily News have been putting up some pretty solid journalism of late. I'm grateful for that and read stories there that I don't find in my morning pile of newsprint.
As for BankerMan's query about whether housing policy and such will be an ultra-niche, I don't think it needs to be if written well (as McCarron demonstrated) and combined with good photography, video and audio material. The new news that's coming -- we're not there yet -- will be what great newspapers have been: well organized, well edited, compelling, instructive, fun to read. And because the web is faster, cheaper and offers multimedia possibilities, it could be better too.
So BankerMan, I don't think it will be completely dry at all. And Megan, though you say in your comment at communitybeat.blogspot.com that we don't need something new because you're already doing it, that's not quite right. You and others have begun to fill the void, but there's plenty of room for improvement. Let's see what we can do.
Well, I question the premise that an all-housing news product would attract anything other than housing wonks. It sounds very insider-y. With a newspaper, people would pick it up for the crosswords, or the TV listings, or to see what was playing at the movies. Maybe they'd stick around to read an article about housing policy.
But if all you have is housing policy, that sounds like a tough sell.
I definitely agree that we're not there yet, Patrick, and the more the merrier as far as great news organizations. After all, we do this for the good of our fair city, and she needs all the help she can get.
As for bankerman, housing policy can be extremely dry, and I do my best to make it readable for myself and the common man. I struggled with it when I was first assigned and still do - but the essence of housing is this: if you don't have a decent place to live, you really can't accomplish anything in life. Even more then education, housing is the base from which we all can rise, and a lot, and I mean a lot, of people in Chicago are living in places you just can't rise.
But I desperately want to make it readable. So if you happen to read something I've written and find it boring, please let me know. You would be doing me a great service.
I will do just that!
Also, it's helpful to keep in mind that Chicago is not a person. It's a collection of small communities and interest groups who, for one reason or another, all have chosen to live and work in this geographic area. If you're going to make something, it needs to appeal to one or more of these interest groups - neighborhoods, families, businesses, demographics. Making something "for Chicago" is like making something "for humans."
Great discussion. A clarification to Bankerman, that what John McCarron is suggesting is not a web site focused solely on housing, but one that looks at "community development" in the broadest sense, what the wonks call "comprehensive community development."
And that takes in a lot, from retail stores to youth sports leagues, from health care and education to community gardens, and from block clubs to organizing campaigns. And a whole lot of other things too: in fact any kind of activity that helps make a neighborhood stronger or helps it address local issues. Including of course maintenance of communication vehicles like a newspaper or blog!
We at LISC/Chicago have made a start on this at http://newcommunities.org, which covers 16 neighborhoods and all the subjects above. We're stretched thin and know we can do better, thus our involvement in these discussions. Onward!
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