Comments on: Glocal News

By: lovable liberal

lovable liberal — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:19:42 +0000

Outsourcing MoDo to India might actually be pretty funny.

The Pasadena Now outsourcing is about filling the hole between the ads with content that superficially resembles news.

For summarizing long and boring meetings of local boards, they might be useful, since the board’s minutes are usually slow to come out (though what’s the hurry?). Problem is, as in this story, video watchers who have no stake are likely to miss the really interesting and newsworthy events.

By: Dave J. (Scoop0901)

Dave J. (Scoop0901) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:20:42 +0000

@Sadcox:
I can see how this kind of thing could be done from the next city or even the next state, as I used to do freelancing for a few papers from a few counties away. I had the minutes of various meetings faxed or mailed to me, then, after the meeting in question, I’d call for the final vote. There were times, such as during controversial issues, I’d make arrangements beforehand to call in live, listen to the meeting live. That helped make it always as good as being there, but I lacked the perspective of having been at the meeting, which eliminated the possibility of describing any behind-the-sceme action.

Working a story — or beat — from India, though, seems doable if quality isn’t an issue. The issues we have in America — free enterprise, mils (valuation issues), and other such issues — aren’t topics they deal with in India. Too many cultural differences would inhibit quality reporting from India IMHO.

By: sadcox

sadcox — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 17:39:40 +0000

@Scotsman1228
It’s funny to see this happening in journalism to me because I’ve seen cases of it working (and not working) in tech for a long time now. I’m not sure how local journalism could be done from the next sate, much less another country. It would seem to me that local journalism is the future of newspapers if done right.

This doesn’t seem like the right way to do it.

By: newscoma

newscoma — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 16:44:21 +0000

As a journalist is a small market, believe me, I’m not applauding. But it’s good to know what’s going on around the world when it comes to news. It makes no sense to me how outsourcing journalism in Pasadena to India is going to be conducive in readers getting local news. The motto at the small bi-weekly I work at is “Local News Matters.”
I’m with you, Scotsman1228.

By: Scotsman1228

Scotsman1228 — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 16:38:45 +0000

Are we to congratulate a newspaper company that does this?

What about the unemployed journalists?

What about the local community and the money it is losing to India?

What about training the local community to be journalists and graphic artists?

What happens when everything is outsourced?

By: leslie

leslie — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 15:19:11 +0000

Almost sounds like a chapter from The World is Flat.

By: Peter_Comings (Peter_Comings)

Peter_Comings (Peter_Comings) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 01:10:45 +0000

From NewsTechZilla Glocal News: Well, this is surprising, yet I’m not really as shocked .. http://tinyurl.com/976ddw

By: newstechzilla (newstechzilla)

newstechzilla (newstechzilla) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 00:33:15 +0000

New blog post: Glocal News http://tinyurl.com/976ddw