While attending the Knight Innovation Seminar, I was intrigued by one panelist in particular.
Jay Rosen, associate professor of journalism at New York University, talked about the idea that won him a $15,000 grant from the Knight News Challenge; he calls it a "small winner."
Rosen talked about "Beat Reporting with a Social Network." He explains it in simple terms: A beat reporter has a network of people they rely on to supply them with specific information.
Why not create an online community that allows the reporter to find that group of people who are well-versed on that specific beat, a group that Rosen calls the "smart mob."
What Rosen proposes to do is create a moderated space where reporters can acquire information on a certain topic. This will allow reporters to maintain their physical networks of people, as well as having a unified body of information available at their fingertips.
Rosen believes that, ultimately, this would allow for better and more thorough coverage of specific topics and events.
"This is a social network approach where the reporter is the center," Rosen explains.
The Web site has yet to be fully launched. Rosen is still looking for five or six more beat reporters.
