If life is local then you have to mean it

May 18th, 2010

Life is Local is the anthem to which the Johnston Press sings along, and of course the truth is that in many ways, life is still very local, still very situated in physical space and place. Of course the struggle is to make sense of that in a networked society. So good news to see, some real efforts of companies taking the life is local meme, and walking the talk.

Here is the nub is the story, as told by Roman Gallo, director of media strategies for Amsterdam-based investment firm, PPF Group.

The idea is to create a newsroom environment where as little separation as possible exists between those reporting the news and those consuming it. To break down that wall his company developed news cafes – newsrooms containing public cafes, where community members are encouraged to drop in, share their ideas and even contribute to the publication. “We use these cafes as community centres,” he said. “There’s a much better understanding of community life for our editorial staff because there are no barriers.” The cafes don’t just quench caffeine cravings, either. Each newsroom frequently holds community events like concerts or dance lessons, often attracting hundreds of people from the area. The novel newsrooms create a unique connection between consumers and the Nase Adresa brand, said Gallo. “It creates trust.”

This collaborative engagement, has I think a great deal going for it. Especially if one draws the lens back to look upon a wider landscape, and recognise that organisations and brands that are prepared to devolve their power through collaborative processes, do that not only in a practical sense but a metaphorical one too. The symbol of something that listens and reciprocates is powerfully attractive. So I wonder, for hyper local news traditional media must either engage or die?

(More here)

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