Topix.net sponsored Podtech.net to produce a "man on the street" video, asking a few ordinary people (and a few not-so-ordinary media insiders, like webware.com editor Rafe Needleman, KQED Executive Director of News Raul Ramirez and craigslist founder Craig Newmark): "What’s missing from local news?"
They also posed the question to a few people at this week’s Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco.
Obviously it was a loaded question. I’d say fairly loaded given the widepread dissatisfaction with journalism in the U.S. Our research earlier this year found that 72 percent of Americans are dissatisified with the quality of American journalism.
Common answers in this video: Too little relevancy, too much sad and depressing stuff.
Sigh. Another plea for happy news. Maybe that’s the Podtech niche.
Check it out here: What is Missing from Local News?
Sidenote: Podtech should have been clearer about the nature of this video. The video is explained this way:
"To commemorate Topix’s revamped site, PodTech’s Rio Pesino traveled around San Francisco and attended the Web 2.0 Expo asking journalists, bloggers, and locals what is missing from local news."
Topix CEO Rich Skrenta tells me his company sponsored the video. I have no problem with that. But Podtech should have said so more clearly. The video includes Topix logos at the beginning and end. That may be clear enough for some, or maybe Podtech regulars understand that all its content is sponsored. I don’t know if it is or isn’t, and that’s my point. I can’t tell. I don’t know what the deal is at that site.
