Why can’t a newspaper be more like a blog?

News sites have been wringing their hands about whether blogging is journalism and whether newspapers should let their reporters blog. They’re missing the most important point about blogging. Suddenly, millions of their readers now have better-managed web sites that are better integrated with the Web than any online news Web site. I’m not saying that the Tribune Company should rush out and buy WordPress for their newspapers. But the blogosphere has evolved into a sophisticated network that online publishers should emulate and build upon. I’ve been discussing the elements of this network in this series:

– RSS feeds put your headlines on readers’ desktops

– Comments let your reader participate directly in the reporting process

– Archives should no longer be in a separate database

– Trackback points to people who point to you

– Your community should be the focus of your site

[MediaSavvy]