Some veteran reporters have found themselves leaving the newspaper business to work for a non profit. In Michigan there is an online publication known as Bridge. They have offices in Lansing and Detroit but sometimes meet at someone’s home in Ann Arbor. The publication was first launched in September of 2011. Since then they have received more recognition, readership and digital audience.
So what sets this group of reporters aside from all others? Well their stories take much longer to write. They all take the time to think and reflect on a topic or story. Many of them will conduct interviews, continue researching, build spreadsheets and keep crunching numbers for a month or more at times. This work ethic is extremely important because it sets them apart. Today most mainstream newspapers or even online publications are so involved in being the first one to get the story out and then quick send it to the public and move on. Without the strict deadlines there is never ending possibilities of what one could uncover.
Growing up in a world that revolves around a faced paced media and learning as a journalist to have a strong social media skills I find this very interesting, Their reporters are not forced to keep their social media sites up to date, or even have them in the first place. They don’t focus on getting the story out in time but on the solutions. This is so important to have these types of stories because sometimes we never hear the outcome or just that it was bad not how it can get fixed.
Also in class we have been learning about navigating through websites and what makes them easier as a viewer. One thing I noticed on most sites where I have issues is with the advertisements. Bridge has no ads! Their $50,000 comes through grants and personal donations. This just proves how many people still support this old school style of journalism.
This is a huge reminder of how important this style of journalism is. I understand why it is so important to get the story out on time and why there are strict deadlines. But at the end of the day we still need reporters like the ones at Bridge. They show us how to come up with solutions and take the time to show us why something is the way that it is based on hard data. I am glad to hear that this publication is doing so well and I hope that they continue to grow in the future.
This is a good example of his the future of journalism isn’t monolithic. It’s going to take on many different forms. This is one of them. I love this form, but there’s no way it can exist on its own.