Understanding news as it changes to survive: Quotes from the ONA conference

photo by Allyson Beutke DeVito
Quotes and paraphrase on the future of journalism from those in the know:

In news, blogging saves good information otherwise gone, thrown out, wasted. -- Tammi Marcoullier of Publish2

In blogging, the metaphor of a talk show host is more accurate than that of reporter. -- Rex Hammock of Rexblog

"In journalism there are no rules, just guidelines. The same is true of blogging." -- Michael Silence of the Knoxville News Sentinel

Bloggers "have to have a stomach for this. You have to have thick skin." And you have to be consistent with that. - Christian Grantham of Nashville is Talking

"Have an email subscribe on your blog. Not RSS, email." Interested readers get immediate updates. -- Tammi Marcoullier of Publish2

"The comment is the currency of the conversation when you go online." -- Rex Hammock of rexblog.com

Blogging is like jazz. Bloggers have to be able to think and write at the same time. There is a lyrical nature to good blogging. -- Rex Hammock of rexblog.com

Produce content for print. Produce content for the web. That content cannot mirror one another. Not the same audience. It's a totally different audience. -- Val Hoeppner of Diversity Institute at Vanderbilt University

In-depth online coverage of a major murder story bought credibility for the Indianapolis Star within the Black community there. The paper was not always welcome in that community before. -- Val Hoeppner of Diversity Institute at Vanderbilt University

"People are no longer willing to wait for that thud on the door (newspaper) at 6 a.m. We want news on demand." -- Val Hoeppner of Diversity Institute at Vanderbilt University

"When the fire burns out and the earth before you is scorched, that's when new life begins." -- Janet Coats of the Tampa Tribune on upheavals in news and newspapers

We aren't killing print, but "journalism is far too important for us to sacrifice it to a format." Evolve to stay viable. -- Janet Coats of the Tampa Tribune on upheavals in news and newspapers

"Understanding the audience doesn't mean pandering to it." -- Janet Coats, Tampa Tribune, keynote speaker.

A "curated aggregation of links" can be great journalism. See examples of link journalism at Publish2 -- Tammi Marcoullier of Publish 2

Speakers were part of the program at the Online News Association conference in Nashville Jan. 30. These quotes are derived from my impressions as Tweeted live. See quotes and comments from other journalists and academics in attendance by searching Twitter.com for #onanash .