You think you got what it takes to contribute to the Huffington Post or its forthcoming Hawaii edition? Most likely not, but then again, here’s some of what’s in the Most Popular section for August 23, 2013.
Okay, maybe you do have what it takes…
Although the Huffington Post Hawaii doesn’t officially go live until September 4, they’re ramping up their social media presence on Facebook and Twitter. Just for fun, I happened to be the first public @mention of @huffposthawaii.
Fellow Hawaii-focused bloggers, you offering up your services?
Today, Hawaii’s own Civil Beat celebrates its first birthday. Can’t believe it’s been a year already. One year is just a speck of time and yet, it feels like Civil Beat has been making an impact for much longer. Thanks for the investigative reporting and congratulations on the milestone.
Here’s CB’s video commemorating their first year.
In Pulpconnection fashion, here are some blog posts about Civil Beat.
To top off their birthday celebration, Civil Beat is giving away goodies. Not only can you get discounts on Civil Beat subscription memberships, but members can also win an iPad 2.
Happy Birthday Civil Beat and may the fourth be with you.
Well sorta. We were at Don Quijote Kailua on their last day of business. The local news stations were there too and filmed me in the background of some clips. Here’s the KHON2 broadcast segment.
Look at the 0:37-0:41 second mark. See the guy wearing the black Air Jordan cap? That’s me walking and loading up the van! Can’t see it? I’ll help you out (click on the images for a larger view).
Happened to catch the last television broadcast of KHON sportscaster, John Veneri.
After 16 years in front of the camera, John will be handling marketing and promotions for KHON.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hawaii-based startup Peer News, founded by eBay’s Pierre Omidyar, announced some big news today.
We are creating a Honolulu-based local news service that will produce original, in-depth reporting and analysis of local issues in Hawaii.
One of the first steps for this endeavor is finding an editor. So if you have the skills and passion, an opportunity awaits!
While Hurricane Flossie continues its path towards Hawaii, KHON2 introduced its newest reporter to cover reactions from Oahu residents. Hurricane Flossie, meet Olena Rubin.
The former Miss Hawaii is now a member of KHON2’s dwindling reporting staff, and her first assignment was to go out there and cover an impending natural disaster. How’s that for an initiation?
I’m guessing KHON is making a run for Pulpconnection’s next Hottest Local Newscasters poll. And with this new responsibility, that explains why she won’t be hosting Club 939’s Two Year Anniversary Party.
Technorati Tags: Hawaii
Happened to tape part of Tasha Kobashigawa’s final broadcast on KITV.
https://media.dreamhost.com/mp5/jwplayer.js
jwplayer(“v11223”).setup({
‘flashplayer’: ‘https://media.dreamhost.com/mp5/player.swf’,
‘width’: 480,
‘height’: 360,
‘file’: ‘https://www.pulpconnection.net/files/tashafinal_480x360.flv’,
‘image’: ‘https://www.pulpconnection.net/files/tashafinal_480x360.jpeg’
});
She finished in a 5-way tie for 3rd place in the Listmania of Hottest Local Newscasters. With her departure, KHNL now has the most friendliest faces on local television.