Watching the Civil Beat

Hawaii startup Peer News is online and poised to revolutionize the changing landscape of journalism with Civil Beat. May 4th is the official launch date, but Civil Beat is currently open for business in a soft launch mode. I joined as an early subscriber (and at a reduced cost) to see what the potential future of journalism could be. Here are some observations.

The Basics

Civil Beat feels blog-like with posts and articles that allow comments from paid subscribers.  Non-members can consume content but not contribue to the conversations.  Currently, Civil Beat focuses on the five beats of: Honolulu, Hawaii, education, land, and money.

The Cost

Yes, the subscription cost for Civil Beat draws the most attention. A monthly subscription goes for $20, but there is an early subscriber cost of $5 for the first month. So, we’re talking $200+ a year, and what does that get you?

How about no advertisements littering pages of content and contributions. How about reporters aka guides who interact with its online communities. How about an ever-evolving look at topics, not one-and-done articles. How about a walled garden of engaged community members who reflect the Beat’s unofficial tagline of “Be you. Be cool. Be civil.” Is $240 a year too much to pay for the new civic square? Time will tell.

I do wonder if other pricing options will be available after the official launch.  How about subscribing to a specific beat at a reduced cost.  How about defraying costs for active community members.  Since Civil Beat emphasizes conversations, why not reward members for their contributions?

PayPal Needed

To subscribe to Civil Beat, you need to pay using the popular PayPal.  PayPal then acts as the sign in mechanism for Civil Beat.  Leveraging the payment service of PayPal is understandable, but in the day of Facebook Connect and Twitter @anywhere, perceptually, PayPal feels out of place. But maybe that’s also a subtext of Peer News and Civil Beat, to challenge your perceptions and redefine them for a better future.

No Notification

During the soft opening of Civil Beat, one glaring omission is the lack of a notification system letting users know when new posts and discussions are available.  You’d expect RSS feeds since the site feels bloggy-ish. Civil Beat is on Twitter so even tweets of new content might suffice.  Notifications need to be there on May 4.

Make Civil Beat Mobile

A mobile application, not just a mobile-friendly format, would help sustain the engagement of the community. This app could then show new posts and discussions for those on the go.

Civil Beat Listens

And lastly, during my short time on Civil Beat, there’s been countless tweaks and changes, mostly at the recommendation of its community. Don’t like or want to see something, simply speak up, and Civil Beat will be listening. Of course, it’s their discretion how they’ll handle your request, but you know you’ll be heard. That is refreshing.

The new civic square is coming, and I’ll see you there.