Yesterday Tim and I sat in on an Oakland Local editorial meeting. I think that is what it was referred to as. In attendance was core crew (Amy, Susan and Kwan), as well as Ian Martin, Irene Florez and Sarah Terry-Cobo.
We were there on behalf of cog motive, since the site is still relatively new, and we wanted to both be there to answer any specific questions, as well as weigh in if there was anyway we could make it easier for them to do their thing. Also, it is just good to be exposed to something new, I think. I don’t feel like I know enough about building a news site to give advice on it, such as best practices and such, but that is the goal for me. I want to connect with the people using the tools I build, so I can make them better.
Interestingly enough, the meeting was similar to how I would have run it, so I guess even I slightly romantisize how journalists work. It was obviously not in a press room, like in the movies, just a bunch of folks around a large dinner table talking about their beats and stories that should be covered. In fact, it was very similar to cog motive meetings (since we all live together, our “meeting room” is the living room).
Despite being there to assist in technical matters, I was jazzed to hear how they are planning to grow Oakland Local, with partnerships and creative marketing, and some really interesting stories as well. I particularly like some of the stuff about interviews. I am particularly sensitized to folks’ particular stories, and I look forward to reading more about the various cultures converging (and emerging) in Oakland. 