Big list of new-media ideas from staff

Here's the list the Star staff came up with. Comments are from Eric Bambach, Star systems manager. Feel free to add your own comments or more ideas. - Jim

Video
1. Videos with NTC – a few newscasts or packages per week
Yes. Excellent. They said they wanted to do this. We want to do it. There is no reason not to do this.
2. Create a partnership with Northern Television Center where the Star takes at least a couple of their video packages per week and puts them on our Web site. Many papers and TV stations have these kinds of partnerships now.
See #1
3. AP Online Video network
What do you mean? A site where AP can come to us and post videos? Do they have videos we can use for our site?
4. Have a Catch of the Day – out on the town at the bars on Thurs-Fri-Sat.
5. One uber-important news item with narration
6. People love videos. Call it NIYouTube
And let NIU students post? That could be a lot of work....
7. Video. NTC meets people around campus. Sports clips, a diary of “put name here” show, and make ads for businesses. Do a lot of PR work with student activities. Allow organizations to submit work to be put online. For example, promotion of fundraisers … Greek organizations’ info films, etc. Hire Coms Media Studies students for video productions. Maybe work with some of the teachers to put the best student work up online. I know Prof. Laura Vasquez was trying to get stuff up on the Web.
8. Link to NTC newscasts / stories
9. Post clever, funny stuff with video every day. Maybe it’s a news report. Maybe it’s a field report – for example, wandering around the job fair and talking to people. Maybe some days it’s just a quick intro to a video submitted by a viewer.

Video General Comments
We are already creating a video framework so adding video content is easy. Once we get this framework we can add “Video Sections” or features as needed to expand the video content. Building the framework is the first step and after that new ideas should add easily.

News
10. Post stories to the Web site throughout the day
We have a web-only area. Reporters can also post stories to their respective sections too. This is already ridiculously easy we just need newsroom interest and motivation.
11. Photo captions for online stories
What do you mean? We can do this already. If we are not putting them up there then it's a small policy change for when we are posting stories.
12. The “backpack reporter” – a reporter with a video camera and voice recorder in and around campus
Awesome idea. This ties into the video and podcast system. The podcast system is already in place and the video framework is being set up.
13. Promote stories online the night before
With the new content management system and up-to-the minute budgeting this will be easier than before.
14. News ticker for breaking campus news
Very easy to do. I like it.
15. Box scores in the sports section
We can already do boxes, this is a newsroom interest/motivation thing, but an easy and worthwhile addition.
16. More national coverage
We pulled the AP news. So you want it back?
17. Links to major newspapers like the Chicago Tribune or Sun-Times
Then we should be reciprocal links on their site. Form a weak partnership. In the past sites generall “Trade Links”. Perhaps we could arrange to trade banner ads or something. We host theirs for free they host ours for free. It never hurts to ask. They charge a bit more, but we would probably be buried under more banner ads so it should even out.
18. Buy several digital point-and-shoot cameras that also shoot QuickTime movies, so that reporters can shoot mug shots, capture short video bytes, etc.
19. Buy several more digital audio recorders for reporters, so they can record interviews and other material for online components to their stories.
We have a new podcasting infrastructure that makes this drop dead simple. Reporters/sections could have their own podcasts.
20. An NIU crime database, based on what’s been in the Star police beat every day. Location map, date and time, type of crime.
Good idea. It would take a decent amount of manpower (120+ hours) to accomplish though. It should be a new site spin-off with its own domain name and look+feel like we do with ns swap and dining guide. NIUCrime.com?
21. Audio slide shows – narrated photos from a story that’s been in the paper
Fairly Simple with the new podcast system. Provide a link at the bottom of photo slideshows that opens a MP3.
22. NEW AP Newsfeed. The AP has an RSS feed publicly available for syndicating their content. We can subscribe to this feed for up-to-the-minute headlines on our site. The have different categories too like sports, world, etc.

Online-only content
22. Online menus for local businesses
Dining guide? We had that. We need to bring it back. The problem I recall is that we charged restaurants and not all of them paid. Plus, it is a small pain to get all their menu's hand-typed onto the web site.
23. Post DeKalb restaurant, bar, fast-food and delivery menus, prices and business hours. Could add restaurant reviews by readers, or we could make that a separate thing.
See #22
24. A daily update of events on and around the campus – possibly also to collect advertisement on the site
Perhaps provide a site where groups can post their own events and ideas (they do this now on NS Swap) but hold the comments for moderation ( liability/libel/slander issues etc.). This could be fairly simple to do. Give organizations a really generic login/password to post news.
25. Put up more events around town. Have a better monthly calendar than NIU’s site. I hate that thing. Advertise events there.
Perhaps tie it in to #24? If we do it correctly, we could easily MAKE a calender based on what organizations are doing that day/month/year etc. It would be up-to-the minute calendar of events.
26. “Drunk of the Night” – think Catch of the Day
27. Page of student work. Allow students to submit their work to be put in an on line portfolio type of page.
What kind of work? Simple blog style? Portfolios? Sounds complex and generic. Could we get more specific?
I think it would be neat to have an “Artists Corner” where the community and the photo/graphics dept could share and post artwork, galleries, etc.
28. Extensive dining guide. Allow advertisements that link to their page. People that advertise can get their own advertisement on their restaurant page that has a picture slide show effect of their food and restaurant.
Expanding on #22. Good. We should work with ads to sell this (again...) to local restaurants.
29. Bring back the dining guide/menus/hours. That was the only thing my friends and I used to go to the Web site for.
Yes! See #22
30. Movie listings
Could be very easy to syndicate.
31. Final exam times
Usefulness? Sounds like it would be harder to gather the information and
create a page around it than the service it would provide. However, this idea should not be lost if we make a Rate my professor type site.
32. Section for nightlife. Post activities for students around the area. Put up pictures taken during events. Have bar advertisements there to show special events.
NIUBars.com?
33. Section for local bands. Have spots where bands can place samples of music, profiles, playing dates … advertise NSRadio’s local lounge there.
See #27. We could create a community website for bands to post and share themselves.
34. The site used to have employee profiles. They were neat.
35. More fun things. Put the horoscopes online.
36. Change the layout to a cnn.com template. This one’s too bland.
There is a redesign in progress. In fact before we put too much new content on the website we should redesign to attract and keep readers as well an making a site that accommodates all the new content we will be making.
37. New Web site design. I don’t like it. Sans serif fonts would be easier to read online
See #36
38. A better, more user-friendly housing guide
Already done. Waiting on Ads to get us the data.....
39. Online-only columns. An advice column like “Ask Elle” in the Sun-Times
Very easy to do. We have to get newsroom interest/motivation though.
40. New student guide / services on campus, all listed on one page
41. Trivial facts: historical, fun/odd facts about people and places
Flavor web-only columns? We have the ability already, we just need newsroom interest.
42. Review of useful Web sites for college students (just plain fun / distracting)
See #41
43. Some form of travel section (day trips at college student level)
44. “On the Road Reporter” – finding historical places / oddball sites in the area (see roadsideamerica.com)
45. History facts about the Northern Star
A more specific example of #46. See #46
46. History about incidents at NIU through the years
Flavor? Perhaps we can pull random stories from the archives into a box on flavor's section and display them?
47. Audio or video interviews with Star editors about a controversial story or a tough ethical decision. Let readers into that process of why the paper does what it does.
Again, goes with video and podcasting. The podcasting framework is excellent and can be done now. The videos can be posted, but it will take a little while before (50-70 man-hours) before we have a decent framework for posting videos.

Interactive
48. Comment boxes for news posts
Uhm...Done. Anonymous commenting. If you meant something else, please elaborate.
49. The comments on the stories online have been a really great feature. I think they may deserve more attention. Perhaps a refer on our Web site that brings attention to “what others think” or something like that. Basically, I think more people need to know these comments exist and they are able to post their own.
Ok very easy to do.
50. Professor/course discussion boards for students
Perhaps a whole NIUClasses.com or NIUProfessors.com where students
can rate classes and professors.
51. Interactive poll we put on the Web site and post the results on the front page of the paper – breaking the barrier between Web and print
52. More interactive games for students to get involved in. Maybe NIU trivia with giveaways as an incentive.
53. For sports, a Web-only extended “rant”
See Blogs. This is an excellent idea and we should use both the sports guys from NSRadio and the sports department to come up with stories, rants, and point/counterpoint things.
54. How about a section on the site where readers can post questions for staff writers where the staff can respond in a professional way? Commenting on the site “as is” would be considered unprofessional.
Very true. Ask me about the “Dialog” system which is LIKE anonymous commenting, but involves the editors in a very public and official way. Instead of e-mailing section editors or specific reporters they click “Ask a question about this story” or “Start a Dialog on this story”. The section editor would get an e-mail and be able to reply to comments made and they would be posted to the website.
55. Some form of debate (Huskie Dog Pound / Dog Fight) where two views are present and arguing for and against some issue (politics, what NIU should be doing, etc.)
Can be done easily as web-only content (stories) now unless you want
to develop a specific section for this.
56. Editorials from students
Could be intersting and dangerous. This goes along with idea #24 on Online-Only Content. Create an editorial system on line that lets people submit editorials on line. Editorial board could review/edit/post them on line. We could have many more editorials that the print version allows us to publish.
57. Online surveys / voting
58. User-generated content. In an infinite variety of forms, but all centering on life at NIU. Conversations, videos, still photos, issue discussions, rate that ____ (CD, movie, restaurant, etc).
NIUProfessors.com, Photo/Artist sharing network, forums, dialog system, anonymous commenting.
59. Host Flickr groups where we encourage students to post their photos from various NIU events. Maybe a different group every week.
60. Find a way to connect with an audience via cell phones.
61. On the main Web site, announce Northern Star flashmobs once every couple of weeks, where we tell people to show up at some random place at a certain time and potentially win something good, like an iPod. (We’d have a drawing from among the people who showed up.) Example: Show up wearing a bandanna at 4:47 p.m. Thursday in front of the main doors of the library. You could instantly win a $50 Best Buy gift certificate.
62. NEW Interactive dining guide. Allow students to post reviews/commentary on restaurants like the anonymous commenting system for articles.


Blogs
63. We have completely ignored the growing cult-TV fandom this semester. How about a Web-only blog for “Lost,” “Battlestar Gallactica” and “Heroes” – TV shows more college students watch than watch movies? Can I write the “Lost” blog? – Tom Bukowski
You most certainly can write a move/TV show blog. Blogs take systems all of 3 minutes to create. The problem is in linking and promoting it. If you think you can promote it on facebook,AIM,friends, Id love to have more people approach me enthusiastically about Blog ideas.
64. Section editors can have a blog
Done. We need to generate interest and ideas within the sections and push
people to constantly (once-twice a week) update it.
65. Voices editor should host a blog on NIU issues. Could add this to the job description.
Awesome.
66. Huskie sports blog – especially during football and basketball seasons. Hosted by a Star sports columnist.
See #53


Radio and podcasts
67. Weekly live coverage
68. One home game from sports with commentary
69. Decide what NSRadio should evolve into. Does the station have a future playing commercial music? Local music that also can be podcast? Talk shows that also can be podcast? Sports events? Should the station do strictly podcasts? Maybe NSRadio as an entity disappears and its remaining content becomes part of the aforementioned new, all-encompassing Web site. We do live streaming when it’s warranted – sports events, live bands in-studio or remotes from events, for instance. But otherwise, we produce podcasts that can be downloaded and consumed at the user’s convenience. We’d stop buying the TMCentury music service and we’d stop Webcasting copyrighted music. I’m not sure there’s any reason to keep doing this, given our lack of audience and revenue. Internet users who want music are not coming to the Star or NS Radio unless it’s local music they can’t get anywhere else.

Archives / search
70. Old story search engine
We have this. Any specific feature it's missing?
71. Yellow Pages search
How would we keed this updated? How would we verify it's accuracy? Collect information? Seems like too much work and competing with too many other well-established products.
72. Archive the PDF’s on Web site
Easily done. We have all the old PDF's. We just need to make a page to display them. 10-16 man-hours of work.

Promotion, etc.
73. Promote ALL of our new media stuff on FaceBook and MySpace, as well as in the paper. Basically, promote it to where the desired audience already is.
74. Should the Star continue to publish a regular paper on Fridays? Should it be smaller, with lots of promos for online material that would help students plan their weekend? How much money would we save by reducing the paper to 8 pages on Fridays or – shudder – not having a print edition at all on Fridays?
75. Instead of InCopy, create all stories in an XML template or other format that can be quickly placed online. The question to answer here is, would it be easier to move stuff into InCopy or directly into Indesign than it is to move current data to an online format? I think K4 can tag and database these stories just as easily as InCopy stories, right?
We should be very careful about how we decide to tie K4 into the website. It has been proposed that the stories come directly from K4 when they are tagged as “Done”. If a story is wrong we could edit it in InCopy and the website would reflect the changes. However we should NOT do this because such a direct coupling of the K4 database and the website will allow a hacker to change the data. That is, if we provide a direct link between K4 and the website, if we ever got hacked actual story content could be changed without us knowing. At least now we have a pristine copy of the articles if something every gets hacked we will know that is not what we published.
76. I saw a great ad in St. Louis for a service like NS Swap. It said, “SELL YOUR CRAP” in huge type.
77. Kill the Northern Star Online and replace it with a new product. A community site that includes news but emphasizes the community stuff just as much. Give it a catchy name. Do a huge promotional campaign when it launches. Make users register (free) so we have their e-mails and can send them daily e-mail promos of what’s on the site, including ads.
We NEED to do this. We cannot get even a quarter of the new ideas here on the current website. Before we just start bolting crap onto the current front page we should create a new design that is MADE to accommodate all the new features. Timeline for this should be middle of the Spring Semester.
78. Start a new-media bulletin board somewhere in the Star office, where anyone can post ideas, articles, whatever. Put this emphasis front-and-center and keep people thinking about it.
Starweb/wiki?
79. NEW. Email system. Allow people to subscribe to a daily e-mailing of our headlines/content/features. Put banner ads in the e-mails. We used to do this.


Overall: These are great ideas and I look forward to developing some of them. However, we should not get too hasty and put out crappy 1st draft websites/features. We have to remember that the website does not have and does not need daily deadlines. We should emphasize usability and appeal. If we don't do that we will lose credibility with the community and each feature we push out after that will get a smaller and smaller reception. We need to start designing each of these from the ground up and in conjuction with a website redesign. This will allow us to put out polished working and usuable products when they launch. Some features will work easily on the existing site, but some ideas should be held until we finish a re-design.