Project Diary: PRESSCORE, a New Program for Citizen Journalists
By BARCODE 2x
I created a Facebook group, you can visit it by clicking here. Within a few days, we got 60 or more members. Not bad, considering it's a new venture. It's called PressCore.
When the Ann Arbor News announced that it was folding in June, I sat down and brainstormed a bit. Without a newspaper, a signficant portion of our community will be out of many loops. Citizens have no choice but to become reporters, and with the technology that is available, we can create some stop-gap solutions.
My goal is to enable citizen journalists to do their own reporting to the world on things they see and do. It is my belief that journalism is an instinct that many people have. Ethics in journalism are changing. Now that major news institutions are facing collapse, then the editorial controls disappear, and individuals have the power to report to their communities. And most of them will do it well. People are usually pretty accurate when they observe and report to their networks. The passing of information from person to person now has powerful technology. Newspapers have websites. Websites as we know it are facing extinction too. Forget the website. Think in terms of networks. With this in mind, I created the following document:
PRESSCORE
Open source news and events coverage
What it is:
A grassroots effort to mobilize citizen journalists and spread news person-to-person over the internet. Participating businesses list events and offer their product for free to members. And in return, members write reviews and spread the word among their own networks.
How it works:
Businesses can set up their own PressCore events. For the theatre beta test, here is how we will start:
· A theatre makes x number of seats available for free to PressCore members. Members may bring friends along, and these friends receive a discount on tickets.
· After the show, the member is asked to write a review of varying length (perhaps no less than 300 words) and send the review to the theatre, meanwhile posting it on their own website, livejournal blog, Facebook page. The theatre can also publish the reviews to their own networks as well. Members sign up to receive notifications for future events in their area.
The benefits:
· Members enjoy free and/or discounted goods and services on an ongoing basis.
· Businesses benefit from open-source marketing and publicity.
The risk:
· The business could receive a bad review.
· Regular press may resent the outsourcing of their job to regular people.
Member FAQ’s:
· Q: What if I don’t feel comfortable publishing a bad review?
o A: Then don’t. Send your review to the business, and let them do with it what they will. You will remain a Member and shall still receive all benefits. Don’t do it if it doesn’t feel right.
· What if I can’t make it to Press Night and I still want to review the show?
o Always try to comply with the rules and show up on Press Night. But if you cannot, then contact the business and see if PressCore tickets are available another night.
· How often do I have to do it to remain a Member?
o As often as you like. We know that your schedule is busy. We want PressCore to fit into your lifestyle. Think about writing reviews of films you see, concerts, or favorite restaurants. Where are you going this weekend? Contact the business and see if you can get a Press Pass to enjoy Member benefits there. Be sure that they are registered with PressCore.
Business FAQ’s:
· Q: How does this really help spread the word about my business?
o A: Think of the numbers. If 15 PressCore Members send out reviews about your business or event, then in a matter of days, they will send their review to all of their contacts. Let’s say they all have an average of 300 friends on Facebook. Those people alone can reach roughly 4500 other people. But that is not where it ends. When those 4500 people see the review, then post the review to their own page, or comment on the story, their network is notified as well. Soon those reviews spread exponentially. Meanwhile, you can reproduce, publish and republish the Member’s review as often as you like on your own website or page. The numbers grow as your network does. You soon reach new customers using rapidly expanding social networks on the web.
· How is this different from getting a review in the newspaper?
o Your review may be seen by lots of new people. A newspaper may only reach its subscribers. Using PressCore, your review can be seen by any of the millions of users on a particular network. Plus, this is more than a review. It is a testimonial from a customer. Their reviews pass from person to person, and remain on the internet long after a newspaper could be thrown away.
· How do I keep quality control and prevent members from damaging us with negative publicity? What if the review is borderline abusive?
o You have the final say in which PressCore Members are writing for you. PressCore has a no-tolerance policy for abusive posts. If the Member decides to write something abusive, vindictive or damaging against you, you can notify the PressCore Administrator and the Member can be removed from the database. You may receive a bad review along the way, and that is part of the risk of the venture. Administrators can help you weed out certain Members if you have a bad experience with them. You have the right to be selective over who writes about you. You cannot stop them from writing on their own, but PressCore is not interested in keeping Members who abuse the program.
· Can I use the service for more than just reviews?
o Certainly. You have access to the Member database, and can contact the entire group any time you wish. You can be interviewed by members, they can write profiles, preview articles for you, etc. Members can choose to work with you in any way that works for them and your business.
· Who are the Members?
o Anyone can join. Members must meet your requirements and produce reviews of a certain length, within a certain time.
· What if they show up, see the show for free, then don’t deliver? It’s past the deadline, and one Member hasn’t written their review. What do I do?
o Notify the Administrator. You do not need to contact the Member directly.
o Members who do not follow through with their end of the deal may be asked to leave PressCore. Everyone makes mistakes. But Members who miss their deadlines more than twice may be asked to leave PressCore.
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