Recent posts in the Site News category.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Moving Ahead

Things have been quiet around here for a bit, but for good reason. There's been a lot of movement behind the scenes here, and I'm pleased to announce a few developments.

First off, the vision for the future of District Daily is coming together. We're aiming to provide thoughtful and compelling reporting and analysis of local news in the D.C. area. At first, as the name implies, we will be focused on the District. As we grow, we'll likely look to Virginia and Maryland as well.

We've got a small, but growing group of contributors. There's still plenty of room to get involved, though, so don't hesitate to get in touch with us. We're aiming big, and this is your chance to get in on the ground floor.

So what's next? We're developing the areas we will cover, which will mostly begin with the big 'hard news' areas: crime, city hall, education, social services, housing, and so forth. I'll likely also be continuing the Price of Safety series about Metro. We aim to have writers who can distill complicated stories into something understandable, and with a human face.

To sum it all up, it's difficult to keep tabs on the news in D.C. The concept of 'news cycles' is outdated, and we want to build on the models established by other blogs and news sites. We want to combine news reporting with the fast-paced style of blogs. We want to present the reader with a 'dashboard' of what's happening in the city.

We're very excited, and we think this could be big. Please join us on this journey. We'll likely be testing some new content this week, with some bigger announcements after Thanksgiving.

by Dave Stroup, filed under Site News at 5:07PM   0 

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Let's work together to build something

When I started building District Daily last month, I did not have a clear vision in mind. Part of it was the need to have an outlet for longer-form, more researched pieces. I see a lot of stories unfolding in the city that don't always get the sort of analysis they deserve. A good example of this would be the coverage of Metro. In the past month or so, the Post has had some good coverage of some problems within Metro. This week there was a front page story about safety. However, there have been stories about Metro safety for years. Decades, even. What is needed is someone to put all of those stories together, mix with some analysis, and try to draw some larger conclusions.

I see a lot of possibilities for a site such as this. However, nothing can be accomplished in a vacuum. Since the launch of District Daily, I have been in touch with people who are interested in the future of journalism. I've read examples about non-profit media outlets finding ways to thrive in this "new era" of reporting. I have no idea what the future of journalism in Washington will be. What I know is there is a need for more community-level reporting, and more on-the-ground coverage of news.

As such, I'd love to expand this mission to include these stories. Stories about communities and people. I'm not looking to exactly duplicate what the blogs are doing--but rather build on that. Take the stories on the blogs a few steps further. Find out more, and build. At first I was reluctant to even discuss 'bigger picture' ideas, afraid that someone else would start building something first. However, if we are to learn by example, getting there first doesn't mean much these days. Getting it done right is what matters.

Does any of this resonate with you? Do you see stories in your community that you think deserve coverage? Do you want an outlet to comment on this issues, and investigate them further? Well, let's work together. Let's build something new. Each and every day there is a demand for better local news coverage. Whether it's analyzing a rash of crimes in a neighborhood, or working together to keep the government honest and open, this is something that can make a difference.

Interested? Let's get in touch. We've got a little group going and we'd love you to be a part of it. Drop me a line at inbox@districtdaily.com and we can get moving. You don't need any prior experience, or any qualifications beyond an interest in your community and your city.

by Dave Stroup, filed under Site News at 9:29PM   0 

Thursday, November 5, 2009

What's next at District Daily

As you may have noticed, there's been some light posting here this week. You may also have noticed the over 1,500 word piece on Metro safety. The Price of Safety is an on-going series, which requires a good deal of research. It is not simply a series of posts for blogs, but rather a comprehensive look at safety within Metro. This is an important story to be told, and it's taking up a good chunk of my time. However, it is not all that I am working on. This brings us to...

decision2010.jpg

The aim of District Daily is to provide thoughtful analysis of local news, and Metro is but one part of that. It may still be 2009, but Monday will mark the launch of Decision 2010 coverage here on District Daily. I will be covering every major District election, with candidate interviews and analysis. I hope you'll join me for a rather exhaustive look at the candidates.

I am also interested in covering other stories that may fall off the mainstream media's radar. These are matters that begin at an ANC meeting, or with a neighborhood association meeting.  If you have a tip on a story that might be worth covering, please free free to drop me a line and I will look into it.

I hope you'll join me as we embark on what will hopefully prove to be a very interesting year in DC local news and politics.

by Dave Stroup, filed under Site News at 8:15PM   0 

Sunday, October 18, 2009

A New Road: District Daily

I wanted to take a few moments to welcome you to a new DC oriented web site. I wish I could immediately greet you with a wonderful and inspiring "mission statement," but that will have to wait.

Many of you are coming to this site because you read Why I Hate DC. I'd like to thank you for coming along to this new outpost, and I hope you'll decide to stick around. If you've been reading Why I Hate DC for any amount of time, you'll likely understand why I've created District Daily.

I've created this new site to focus on cutting through all of the smoke and, for lack of better words, bullshit that goes on in DC. I spend a good amount of time following the news in the DC area, and I spend even more of my time researching stories. For the last few months, I've been able to fit these in with the whole motif of "Why I Hate DC." However, I've grown increasingly frustrated at the limitations imposed by that moniker.

There are a lot of stories to be told in the District. Each and every day I come across a story that should be told, and should be told in an accessible manner. This site, District Daily, will be an outpost for people who want to get a clearer picture of what is happening in the District of Columbia.

As I have done in the past, I will spend time getting to the bottom of stories of interest to people in the Washington, DC area. I will also attempt to cut through the smoke and mirrors that surround many 'complicated' stories, and bring you the bottom line. 

District Daily will cover all types of stories, including city politics and business development. That said, I won't be attempting to duplicate every other DC blog already in existence. Instead, I will focus on going a bit further with the stories that might fall through the cracks elsewhere. I'll track down stories that readers feel are important. I'll follow up on the stories that have been neglected by others. There's a lot of room for improvement in local news coverage in DC. I hope to fill in the gaps.

Of course, this isn't to say I won't retain my humor. To cover DC area news without a sense of humor is to be on the fast track to the crazy house. I'm not going to forget where I came from, but I know where I want to go. I want to see important stories brought to light. I want to see a brighter future for local media.

Let's get started.

by Dave Stroup, filed under Site News at 8:02PM   0 

Home
Archives
About
Contact

Subscribe to RSS

District Daily is a Washington, D.C. news site. This is a collaborative effort to change the way people read news in the D.C. area. Want to be a part of this project? Contact us.