The fate of community journalism in a time of cultural upheaval. My talk for TEDxLowell, to be given on April 27, 2014. Based on research for my book "The Wired City: Reimagining Journalism and Civic Life in the Post-Newspaper Age." (http://thewiredcity.org)

1. Telling the local story
The fate of community journalism
in a time of cultural upheaval

2. “Thinking the Unthinkable”
• Clay Shirky argues we’re
in the midst of a post-
Gutenberg disruption

3. “Thinking the Unthinkable”
• Clay Shirky argues we’re
in the midst of a post-
Gutenberg disruption
• No one thing will
replace newspapers,
but many things might

4. “Thinking the Unthinkable”
• Clay Shirky argues we’re
in the midst of a post-
Gutenberg disruption
• No one thing will
replace newspapers,
but many things might
• Three possibilities
– Nonprofit
– New forms of for-profit
– Voluntary efforts

5. The community as editor

6. Tracking the global blogosphere

7. “Bowling Alone”

8. Rebuilding community ties

9. The New Haven Independent

10. Technology for journalists

11. Why the Independent works
• Hyperlocal focus on the
city’s neighborhoods
and quality of life

12. Why the Independent works
• Hyperlocal focus on the
city’s neighborhoods
and quality of life
• Fundraising base is
more like public radio
than like a newpaper

13. Why the Independent works
• Hyperlocal focus on the
city’s neighborhoods
and quality of life
• Fundraising base is
more like public radio
than like a newpaper
• Tightly moderated
comments build a sense
of civic engagement

14. The Batavian

15. For-profit, online and independent

16. Why The Batavian works
• Close attention to
the quotidian details
of small-town life

17. Why The Batavian works
• Close attention to
the quotidian details
of small-town life
• Good photography
helps tell the story
of the community

18. Why The Batavian works
• Close attention to
the quotidian details
of small-town life
• Good photography
helps tell the story
of the community
• “Ads are content”:
Nearly 150 local ads
with no national chains

19. The Haverhill experiment

20. Irrigating a “news desert”
• Haverhill no longer has
an independently
owned local newspaper

21. Irrigating a “news desert”
• Haverhill no longer has
an independently
owned local newspaper
• Tom Stites conceived
of the Banyan Project
to build news co-ops

22. Irrigating a “news desert”
• Haverhill no longer has
an independently
owned local newspaper
• Tom Stites conceived
of the Banyan Project
to build news co-ops
• Haverhill Matters will
combine professional
and citizen journalism

23. Credits
• Photo of Clay Shirky (cc) by Paloma Baytelman. Some
rights reserved.
• Photo of newsboy by Lewis Hine (National Archives).
• Photo of citizen journalist (cc) by Morteza Bahmani.
Some rights reserved.
• Photo of community meeting (cc) by David Clow. Some
rights reserved.
• Photo of tree (cc) by Howard Owens. Some rights
reserved.
• Photo of Tom Stites by John S. Mercer.

24. Credits
(cc) 2014 by Dan Kennedy
Some rights reserved
Northeastern University
Boston, MA 02115
For more information, please visit
www.dankennedy.net