Community Building Websites

Here are a few non news websites that I think are good examples of interactive community building.

http://www.wallstreetsurvivor.com -- This is a game where you create a portfolio based on the stock market data from every day. This fantasy stock trading game boasts a large community of players who message, compare data and buddy up. "The mission is to make Wall Street Survivor the closest thing to trading a real brokerage account without risking your own money. And you have the opportunity to learn through your interactions with other fantasy stock traders, just like you."

http://www.y8.com -- This site has interactive flash based games. It has advertising to keep it going.

http://www.lissaexplains.com -- This is a website with help for novices who want to build their own websites. It's very helpful with basic information and fun stuff. There's a forum section for members to share information and ask questions. There's also a free e-mail account option. "We have over 33,000 users and growing. You'll get a free e-mail address, yourname@lissamail.com, and all the features of the larger e-mail services without the ads. Big kids are welcome too!"

http://www.surfthechannel.com -- This is a website where you can stream video -- from movies to TV shows. Some of the content is pirated but it's a very popular website. According to my nephew who introduced me to this site, some of the streamed movies are hosted on servers outside of the country to avoid legal issues.

These sites appeal to a diverse demographic.

Social Media Guidelines for Journalists

Should a journalist "friend" sources on Facebook? Is it appropriate for a journalist to mix personal and professional information? Do traditional standards and guidelines apply to blogging and online discourse? Should Facebook and other social media sites be treated as purely social or do they serve a legitimate professional function?

Newspapers and broadcast news media are beginning to confront these issues by coming up with guidelines to preserve traditional standards and protect journalistic credibility. The Washington Post laid down the law on tweeting and online socializing. Ombudsman Andrew Alexander wrote in September about the Post's new rules:

“When using these networks, nothing we do must call into question the impartiality of our news judgment. We never abandon the guidelines that govern the separation of news from opinion, the importance of fact and objectivity, the appropriate use of language and tone, and other hallmarks of our brand of journalism.”

Another section reads: “What you do on social networks should be presumed to be publicly available to anyone, even if you have created a private account. It is possible to use privacy controls online to limit access to sensitive information. But such controls are only a deterrent, not an absolute insulator. Reality is simple: If you don’t want something to be found online, don’t put it there.”

It continues: “Post journalists must refrain from writing, tweeting or posting anything – including photographs or video – that could be perceived as reflecting political racial, sexist, religious or other bias or favoritism that could be used to tarnish our journalistic credibility.”

The Radio Television Digital Association (RTDNA) completed an exhaustive study with the Poynter Institute and last week released its guidelines for journalists.

Here's the link:

http://www.rtdna.org/pages/posts/rtdna-releases-social-media-blogging-guidelines-for-journalists831.php

Here's some food for thought (or bytes to chew on): If you're going to "friend" a source accept the reality that everything you say or is written on your site could be read by law enforcement and government officials trying to smoke out your sources or adversaries of your "friend".

The traditional ways for cultivating a source -- drinks, doughnuts, coffee, dinner, etc. is one-on-one. There is no online trail, less opportunity for big brother snooping.

When it comes to Facebook, I'm more of a lurker than a poster.

Social media etiquette for journalists -- let the debate begin.

Story & Topic Coverage of Toyota Recall

HEADLINE:

TOYOTA SAYS THE FIX IS IN -- PARTS TO DEALERS THIS WEEK
Class Action Lawsuit Filed in Texas

STORY:

• Animated graphic of "the fix" (illustrate accelerator pedal & parts -- show the old & then reveal the new. Highlight "the fix" -- a steel bar under the pedal. Zoom into new part and link to explanation.)

• Go to a Toyota dealership. Shoot video and edit natural sound of employees being inundated with phone calls from concerned Toyota owners. Include sound with customers.
  

• Interactive chart of all Toyotas affected by the recall. Include photos of recalled vehicles. Place the cursor over each photo to reveal detailed information about year, make & model; number of incidents; where the incidents occurred; how serious. See the total number of vehicles recalled and deaths & injuries at the top of the chart.

• Link to Facebook page of the U.S. Toyota President & link to mainstream media interviews

• Federal Class-Action lawsuit against Toyota was filed late Friday in Corpus Christi, Texas. Bullet point the main complaints of the lawsuit. Interview plaintiffs Sylvia and Albert Pena. Show pics of Pena's 2008 Avalon that crashed last month after it "unexpectedly accelerated through a stop sign."

TOPIC:

I. History of Recalls

• List the 10 largest auto recalls of all time. Make a pie chart. Each slice would include photo of vehicle and how many were recalled with brief explanation for each case. (The Toyota recall would be somewhere in the middle.) Link to detailed cost data for each incident.

• List the largest recalls in history -- all categories. This would include data about massive meat recalls; tainted lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, peanut butter, etc. Link to data and stories. Put human face on each one by including interviews with victims or family members.

II. Damaged Reputations

• Tell the stories of companies who survived devastating blows to their reputations, e.g. the Tylenol tampering case. (Link to media accounts) Tell stories of industries severely damaged by a crisis, e.g. Washington State apple growers after the Alar scare of 1989.
  

• Interview crisis management expert(s) about restoring public confidence.

III. Lawsuits

• At least 10 lawsuits have been filed against Toyota since November. Show map of U.S. and pinpoint where each lawsuit was filed. Link to information, photos and interviews for each incident.

• Compile data about lawsuits following other major recalls. What were their outcomes? Show map of U.S. Link to statistics about lawsuits.