This Is How It Starts

I am finally – officially – starting work on an idea that has been brewing in my mind for more than a year. A good 60 percent of my life, time and brainpower are spent on journalism – reading it, writing it, thinking about it, criticizing it and praising it when appropriate. Prior to returning to school, I worked as a reporter for a wire service in Los Angeles. I mainly covered county and city politics during my four years there, although there was the occasional Academy Awards ceremony and celebutante DUI case. I sat through countless committee meetings, council meetings and news conferences. I read thick reports on LAPD misconduct, listened to angry transit riders protest MTA fare increases, and watched Betty White and Bob Barker duke it out over the treatment of an elephant at the Los Angeles Zoo. It was great.

But the times they are a changin’ in the field of journalism. It is not enough to write a story. Reporters need to think of ways to improve their stories through videos and online elements. The Internet provides instant feedback on stories, often in the form of lame comments at the end of stories. But the possibilities! What if someone could break down the mental and design barriers of putting newspapers on the Web? What if we could completely redesign the appearance, flow and usability of news sites? There are all sorts of online communities; why can’t there be a news community that does not descend into partisan, vitriolic madness?

These thoughts led to the birth of what I’ll refer to as Project Goldfish. It is my independent study project for the summer and something that I hope can become a reality in the not-so-distant future. I know that for some students, independent study is a breeze – there’s no class to attend, you write your own syllabus, and you even get to decide how you’re graded. Easy, right? Not if you're a crazy person ... like me. There are three parts to my study:

-- A business plan that includes a:

Positioning statement

Company description

Organizational and management structure

Market analysis

Financials

-- Project prototype with:

Photoshop mockups

Website

-- Blog:

Two blogs per week

Yes, writing this post is an assignment! I will also be reading:

We the Media by Dan Gillmor

Here Comes Everybody by Clay Shirky

Newsonomics by Ken Doctor

Six Pixels of Separation by Mitch Joel

And any other books or articles suggested by my advisor.

I had two offices when I worked as a reporter. The first was in the L.A. County Hall of Administration. It had lime green walls, metal furniture and a front row seat to a bird’s nest, which was fairly X-rated in the springtime. My second office was messy, comfortable and provided access to the mayor’s private elevator. To go from that to a classroom, surrounded by 24-year-olds checking Facebook and GChat during lecture was a major shift – much more so than I anticipated. This summer I am back in an office of sorts. I have desk space in the journalism school. For me, it’s easier to stay on task when there’s not a television or window with a view nearby. Check out the sweet setup:

This project is going to be challenging, exciting and fun. As I get things underway, I imagine this blog will be a reflection of what I’m reading and how it applies to Project Goldfish. It will also be a way to see how the project changes and evolves over the next 10 weeks. I can’t wait.