The Panels

For panelist bios, see The Panelists page.

Panel 1: How do people consume the news, and what do they do with it?
Rich Gordon; Medill Readership Institute; Director of Digital Technology in Education, Medill School at Northwestern
Andrew Huff; Editor and Publisher of Gapers Block
Amanda Maurer; Social Media Producer, Chicago Tribune
Daniel X. O’Neil; People Person, Everyblock
Hilary Sizemore, Interactive Content Manager at Barrington Broadcasting Group

Moderator - Dan Sinker, Columbia College professor, founder of Punk Planet

What is this panel all about?
The traditional models of news delivery are just that: traditions that have long since had to - or have yet to - fully adapt to their audiences.  This does not mean that ethical journalism or the standards of reporting are not values to be preserved. In fact, they’re more important than ever as audiences have many more ways - and sources from which - to read, analyze, discuss and re-publish the news. Not all news outlets offer the same product, but all provide value even when the interaction with its readers is in quick, short bursts. In this panel, we’ll discuss how the news world has changed, how audiences respond to changing news products and what the challenges are in adapting traditional models to emerging publishing platforms.

Panel 2: How do you make money selling the news and who is willing to pay for it?
Eric Easter, Chief of Digital Strategy for Johnson Publishing
Brad Flora; Publisher and Founder, The Windy Citizen
Tom Lynch; Director of Client Satisfaction at IMP!
Steve Rhodes; Founder, The Beachwood Reporter
Patrick Spain; CEO, Newser

Moderator - Barbara Iverson, Columbia College professor, Co-publisher, ChicagoTalks

What is this panel all about?
The bright line between editorial and advertising has been a hallmark of ethical news outlets for years. But it’s fair to say that this line has both moved and blurred as technology outpaces the newsrooms around the country. Oftentimes, small sites that feature robust news reporting will have one person in the previously separate roles of publisher, editor and reporter. Moreover, the opportunities to create business models around previously-published news are numerous, but what happens when the ethical standards, already in place for these models, are ignored? And how should news organizations position their online properties to best maximize the way audiences consume the news?

Check back soon for slide presentations on each of these panels that will set the scene for our discussions on June 13.