I sat down with Mike Davidson Co-Founder of Newsvine - a couple of months ago and interviewed him for Northwestern University's Media Management Center's study on innovation and media.  Mike is an interesting guy - an entrepreneur who can 'do' as well as think conceptually about things that matter like truth and credibility in reporting.

Mike described the original impetus for the idea of the company.  He and his buddies had a long history together working at Disney Interactive Group as well as ESPN.  Over time they noticed the inefficiencies in the web functions.  Mike describes the inspiration process like this: “Well, if 90% of the traffic is going to basically wire stories and automated data you don’t need 280 people to produce those two things.”  The group decided to take the leap, get their own AP subscription and created a unique algorithm for filtering user generated news.  The site became so compelling to so many that Charlie Tillinghast took noticed and purchased them.  For more about the acquisition see the Seattle PI article.

I'll write more later about Newsvines brilliant 'simulated editor' function, but I'd like to concentrate on this original inspiration for the idea.  In my model for creative thinking The Five Faces of Genius, The Observer is the face that notices detail.  They are able to set aside the distractions and focus on what really matters.  Observers latch on to the emerging details and create something new.  Mike and his team were able to filter the 'noise' of traditional newsites, notice where the traffic was going and develop a fresh and new experience for readers.  Congrats to Mike and his team.  Innovation has it's just rewards.

Last Friday our ISP's server was down.  No access to e-mail and it was quite a mind-blowing day.  Wow did I get a lot done.  And because I wasn't interrupted constantly, I found myself luxuriously spending hours working on projects that needed creative attention.  Flow is a great thing.  Everyone should do it.

So over the weekend I learned that Nationwide Internet had "lost" all the e-mails that came in on Friday and Saturday. Technical Support said that I should contact all the people that I think might have e-mailed me on Friday.  "What am I supposed to do?  Intuit the exact people that tried to contact me?"  Silence. 

So while I had a productive Friday, I am paying the price now; reconstructing the fabric of my communications web.  BTW, did you send me an e-mail recently?

When conducting research with news organizations for the MMC report, one obvious trend is the demographic consumer split of printed newpapers. Most folks over the age of 40 want to hold the printed word in their hands.  They talk about it as a 'ritual'. Turning the pages is something they love to do.  Going on-line for news seems like they are betraying a deeply held religion.

Contrast that notion with the younger demographic who largely view the newspaper as a waste of the world's resources.  Why cut trees when I can get the same info on-line? And BTW - it's a boatload cheaper too. Why pay for something I can get for free? 

I find this generational split an interesting one.  In effect, subscribers are paying for a ritual.  The behavioral 'switching costs' of holding the newspaper in your hands to viewing the same information on a screen are so high, individuals are willing to pay a premium for it.  And the good news for newspapers is that the 40+ demographic will be around for a long time to come.