Observations of a News Junkie

I love picking up a newspaper and flipping through the crisp pages, scanning headlines, becoming engrossed in a news story or opinion piece.

But I’m also following updates about the mayor’s trial on Twitter and reading liveblogs on Macleans.ca. As I’ve written about before, I think the demand for news is changing, but not abating. Though I don’t always agree with our culture of immediacy and instant gratification, as a journalist I have to keep up with where and how people are looking for information. I think all of the new online tools can be very helpful for media companies, as long as we are not lumped together with anyone that sets up a website and claims to be a reporter.

I’ve created Twitter and Facebook accounts for my newspaper, the Kanata Kourier-Standard, which I try to update every day as well as our website. Then there’s this blog, which of course is always bursting with breaking news and captivating randomness.

I’m trying to stay up with the times, see. I’m still figuring out how to maximize coverage through these online means, while continuing to put a great newspaper in the community’s hands every week. It’s an interesting balance but I’m actually enjoying it. I love my news as quickly as possible, so why wouldn’t I want to provide that service for our readers?

Click here for an interview about a journalism that includes Twitter and blogs, and let me know what you think.