J-Lab report examines new journalism; states the obvious

Yesterday’s report “New Entrepreneurs: New Perspectives on News” [PDF download] from J-Lab proves what most of us who read local blogs already know. From the press release:

The research found that journalism on independent local news and information Web sites is increasingly becoming an act of participation, not just an act of observation. The participatory involvement calls for site editors to collaborate with readers in trawling for stories, unraveling news as it is happening, and ensuring that people know how to engage in community issues and events.

Site editors say they are abandoning what some call “antiquated” notions of dispassionate objectivity to “cut to the chase” and provide news that connects their community, not just covers it — even as they value and adhere to standards of accuracy, honesty, transparency, and sharing.

I wonder how much these entrepreneurs value fairness. Transparency means less if we’re not replacing “dispassionate objectivity” with unfair coverage, or if we’re sacrificing facts — the FUD surrounding global climate change or pre-Iraq War coverage, for example, — for some notion of balance.

The report outlines six themes relevant to hyper-local community sites, all worth reading if you are an old media company looking for ways to become more relevant to your community.