It's about the content stupid

In amongst all the chatter on the web about the latest cool tools there's also, thankfully an awful lot of common sense. As a recent arrival on Twitter and a more active blogger and networker than I used to be, I've had to plough through an awful lot of useless information. But there are some gems out there.

Here's one from Rick Waghorn. It drills down to the heart of the digital issue for journalists, namely: It's all about the content. Twitter and Facebook, LinkedIn and Blogs are all just a way of getting there.

The worrying thing is that while some of the thought leaders in my little blogsphere such as Sarah Hartley, Jeff Jarvis, Rick Waghorn, Adam Vincenzini, Paul Bradshaw Adrian Monck and Frank Wintle are constantly exploring, challenging, thinking and seeking out an understanding of what's happening on the web, there isn't enough of this type of research being done by local journalists themselves.

I've always tried to keep my web training courses grounded in the reality of the newsroom. But recently I've become more and more concerned that local papers are not putting enough into understanding the changing world around them. But that's what journalists do isn't it? Why can't local newspapers put some real time into exploring new media?

The web has been changing at a break-kneck speed - hurtling down the fast lane while local newspapers are just about ambling down the slip road trying to join the traffic.

There is always likely to be market for local news - how we get it to people is the real challenge that lies ahead.