RandomThis gets more than a random look

The idea was inspired by a visit of blogger Glenn Reynolds to the News Sentinel back in the summer where his talk included some themes along this line.

If I ran a newspaper, I'd give one to each of my reporters, and encourage them -- in the most meaningful way possible, with bonuses -- to conduct video interviews and reports that could run on the paper's website, the better to fend off . . . challengers.

-- Glenn Reynolds

It's been a lot of fun and it's received a fair bit of attention. News Sentinel editor Jack McElroy talks about RandomThis is his column on Sunday (9/25).

Below are some of the other blog or articles I have seen about it.

• http://www.theindependentpublisher.com/weblog/ archives/2005/08/knoxnews_makes.shtml
• http://wearethemedia.com/2005/08/20/instamedia/
• http://instapundit.com/archives/024993.php
• http://instapundit.com/archives/025134.php
• http://instapundit.com/archives/025047.php
• http://sequimmagazine.blogspot.com/2005/09/knoxnews-randomthis.html
• http://insomnie2005.blogspot.com/2005/08/le-vlog-du-knoxville-news-sentinel.html
• http://fearlesscritic.blogspot.com/2005/08/randomthis.html
• http://www.cyberjournalist.net/news/002837.php
• http://sapphoto.blogspot.com/2005/08/is-train-really-leaving-station.html
• http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=112329
• http://donatacom.com/archives/00001003.htm
• http://radio.weblogs.com/0106327/2005/08/21.html#a461

One of the goals was to have a quick and easy way to post a video story to the Web. And it has! Story topics have included the going to the shooting range, touring adul tbook stores, registering to vote, a visit to the Sunsphere and going to the Fair.

It's going to be neat to see how our concept of "RandomThis" grows and how others implement similar video jounalism on the Web.