OC Register editor: Why not a News Mob for elections or the Oscars?
The Orange County Register plans to have up to 100 staffers covering tomorrow’s Angels Opening Day in Anaheim. It “has been an incredible undertaking,” but “if I told you how easily this has gone, you wouldn’t believe me,” Angels editor Keith Sharon tells colleagues. || UPDATE: Here’s Friday’s OC Register front page.
Sharon’s memo:
It is 1:30 p.m. Thursday, and I can see the end.
This OCR News Mob has been an incredible undertaking that has stretched across the newsroom, into the bureaus and through our growing community of readers. If I told you how easily this has gone, you wouldn’t believe me. We are now wrapping up the all the preview stories, and they are so well-written, insightful and funny. Just wait until you see it tomorrow.
Keith Sharon
We came together, and it is working.
In the last month, we have:
– received more than 100 photos and bios from Angels fans, and another couple dozen from fans who aren’t so happy with the Angels.
– produced 47 stories, videos and graphics BEFORE Opening Day with another boatload of material happening live tomorrow.
– received collaboration from sports, cities, music, television, movies, The Fast Food Maven, In Your Face, graphics, Freedom Interactive, social media, the iPad, mobile, Lansner on Real Estate, Handling Hard Times, Small Business, OC Moms, travel, art, The Morning Read, technology, theater, trending (and if I left you out … you probably helped too). I have readers asking if they can join the News Mob. I had an email from a cartoonist from the Philadelphia Inquirer asking if he could contribute to the News Mob.
– had fun.
Several people have asked me how we should measure success of this project. The answer is, obviously, we’ve already won. The readers of the Orange County Register newspaper, website, iPad and mobile apps, will see tomorrow what a HUGE impact we can have when we focus our resources. Why not do this for elections? The first day of school? The Oscars? The World Series (Angels News Mob II)?
We didn’t do what we normally do, and that’s a great thing.
Thank you so much for all the help.
Keith
* OC Register assigns 70 reporters to cover one game
Fracking elections, is there anything more boring as a reporter then having to talk to voters walking into a polling station about who they’re voting for and why so it can be pulled into a larger story?