Here's an interesting way to spread the word about a special story. Yesterday, the Christian Science Monitor's Web site offered a
downloadable audio version of its page 1 feature for March 31, "
Jill Carroll: finally free," by
Dan Murphy and
Scott Peterson.
They're also offering a free pdf download of the entire Friday paper.
I really like that they offered these special online features. To me, this seems to be the best side of journalism -- sharing the news, even if it might mean giving away a story you can sell.
I've got an inquiry in to Monitor Online chief Tom Regan for more background on this online approach. In the meantime, I think there's a lot here that news organizations can learn about creatively using even simple online media tools like downloadable audio (not even a real podcast, mind you, since the audio was not distributed by feed as far as I could tell) or a free pdf.
And of course, Monitor Online did an excellent job of keeping the details and status of kidnapped reporter Jill Carroll in the news all through the ordeal. Their use of online media was key in this effort -- especially since they consistently presented updates near the top of the site's home page, and offered numerous online features that employed a variety of tools and approaches.
Too often we forget, I think, that "news" sometimes creeps along, rather than breaking dramatically. It's important to cover many of the slow-moving or stalled stories, too. Online media offers excellent opportunities for keeping storytelling alive when the action is less sudden or obvious.
CLARIFICATION, March 31: My information about who's in charge of the Monitor Online is woefully out of date. Although Tom Regan continues to contribute to the site, he has not been its editor for several years. The site's current online editor is Karla Vallance. My apologies.
While the Monitor eventually did a nice job covering Jill...
