WSB notes: Time Magazine, Seattle Woman, Seattle Weekly…

(Photo via Facebook, used by permission – thanks, Carrie Ann!)
That’s the “thank you” sign on the back of the electric car we drove in Saturday’s West Seattle Grand Parade, in case you missed it. We do try to say thanks as often as we can, on the site, in e-mail, etc., because this is truly a collaboration. And one that continues to grow – which is part of the reason why WSB has gotten a few cool mentions lately … We hadn’t written about them here on the news page because, as we were telling one of the people who kindly wrote with congratulations, “WSB isn’t about us, it’s about West Seattle.” They e-mailed back, “Yes, but you’re part of WS too” and suggested we share the good news. So here we are. Most recently, if you read TIME Magazine, there’s a story about online neighborhood news, featuring WSB, on page 49 of the current (8/2/10) issue:

(Photo via Facebook, used by permission – thanks, Erik!)
You can read it online here. (Note a couple corrections: Our association with the Poynter Institute for Media Studies is as an advisor, not a teacher, and – you know this if you’re a longtime WSB’er – we didn’t have “years of donation drives” – only one, a “Pledge Day” three years ago). Meantime, the folks at Seattle Woman Magazine also included your editor here in the current issue’s cover story “Masters of Social Media,” along with West Seattleite Shauna Causey, Biznik’s Lara Feltin, and Monica Guzman of Intersect (formerly of seattlepi.com). That story is online here; the paper version, which is free, is available in boxes and offices all over the place. One other recent honor – two awards at the Seattle Weekly‘s first-ever “Best of the Web.” (Although the coolest awards we’ve been honored to receive remain the West Seattle Grand Parade Orville Rummel Trophy from the American Legion Post 160 parade team, and West Seattle Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year.) We have to stress, none of this is because we’re doing anything fancy or amazing. Somehow you have come to trust that this is a place to get, and share, news, and we try our best to mediate, facilitate, research, report, respond, process, whatever it takes to help get the word out. We hope to keep finding ways to do an even better job of that, with your continued collaboration. Thanks again. (Here’s how to reach WSB, any time, 24/7/365.)

cjboffoli July 27, 2010 (9:58 pm)

Time Magazine has a paid circulation of over 3.4 million. Not too shabby. But I found that graphic in their print edition somewhat patronizing as the implication was that WSB/hyper-local news reports only the trivial. I’ve seen plenty of stories in which the WSB has been a first-mover, with larger, better capitalized news organizations arriving late to the party.

JoanE O'Brien July 27, 2010 (10:04 pm)

Yay WSB and congrats on this much deserved accolade. Thanks for being such a consistent, solid source of the news we need, when we need it.

Ann A July 27, 2010 (10:17 pm)

Well deserved recognition. Thanks for all you do.

DH July 27, 2010 (10:25 pm)

I echo Ann A – well deserved recognition. Amazingly well executed example of hyperlocal news.

Jill July 27, 2010 (10:47 pm)

I agree with cjboffoli about the content and timeliness of it.

Also, WSB, you are not going to escape the credit that easily! Let’s see, reliably being the first to let us know, at all times of day, of issues that matter (objectively I might add), making sure posts are thorough and have 100% integrity and professionalism, providing a way for members of the community to express a wide variety of opinions (and not getting sucked in to the ensuing drama), providing means of contact through major social media avenues, staffing all of that with a crew of fewer than one can count on a hand, and so on and so on!

I guess you’re right, not amazing at all. ;)

Congratulations on the well-deserved exposure and recognition, and thank you!!

sun*e July 27, 2010 (11:10 pm)

Jill said it all and I totally agree! Congrats WSB! :P

add July 28, 2010 (7:04 am)

Bravo!

wseadawg July 28, 2010 (7:24 am)

If the earth can be saved, folks like you will do it. You’ve made this community a better place to live, enriching the lives of my family, my neighbors and my friends.

The quality you produce every day is top notch and your dedication and endurance are amazing. Thank you so much and congratulations.

STB July 28, 2010 (8:09 am)

Wow! You made Time Magazine. That’s so cool. Congratulations.

Dailycommuter July 28, 2010 (8:15 am)

The WSB staff contributes daily to the quality of life in West Seattle and in the city as a whole; that’s an impressive achievement! I’m so happy to add my congratulations on the eminently-well-deserved recognition in TIME Magazine. Many, many thanks go out to you as well.

miws July 28, 2010 (8:44 am)

Jill put it perfectly!

I have to agree with Christopher as well, I read the article the other day from the link in WSB Forums, and got the impression that the article author was trivializing the online hyperlocal news sources a bit. So, at first, I was a bit offended on WSB’s behalf. Then, I figured they must be talking about the other neighbborhood “blogs”, since WSB is owned by people with long time media experience, and perhaps is more professionally run than the others.

But, then again fairness to the other hyperlocals, I’ve only visited a very few, and very rarely, (basically following a link from here, or the P-I, or Times online), so can’t really give a fair, educated assessment of their level of coverage, info, and professionalism.

However, regarding Time’s seemingly trivialization; I wonder if it’s a bit of arrogance on the part of the “big guys” thinking that hyperlocal, run out of the “blog” owners’ homes news sources, just can’t possibly be as viable a news source as the old school/mainstream media.

Mike

Heywood July 28, 2010 (9:01 am)

Pretty cool WSB!

GenHillOne July 28, 2010 (9:04 am)

Very cool – there’s a lot of tired, lame crap out there, so great to see quality rewarded!

bridge to somewhere July 28, 2010 (9:21 am)

congrats! next stop: Time’s “Blog of the Year” on the cover. :-)

bridge to somewhere July 28, 2010 (9:30 am)

I once read a dissertation that described how articles in the Economist came together, including how the illustrations came to be that accompany the article. It turns out the illustrations are often left to the illustrator who may or may not have read the article, and who may only have the most general theme identified from an editor. Sometimes the article writer and the illustrator closely collaborate and sometimes the illustrator creates an illustration that actually guides the article writer, but mostly it seems the illustrator is somewhat independent and not doing the bidding of the article writer or even the editor.

Christy July 28, 2010 (11:43 am)

You guys are way too modest. Anyone who reads this blog knows you must work crazy hours to do all you do. WS LOVES you.

Libby Carr July 28, 2010 (12:52 pm)

Congrats to Tracy and Patrick for getting the recognition you both so richly deserve. With the technology of the Internet, your hard work has given all of us a “voice” that stands a chance of being “heard” not only by our neighbors, but even the rest of the world. You do a great job of covering the events (both large and small) in our West Seattle community. Thanks.
Libby Carr

cathyw July 28, 2010 (1:04 pm)

YAY! SO AWESOME! Congrats.

bridge to somewhere July 28, 2010 (3:33 pm)

Libby: don’t forget the “junior member of the team!” :-)

Still in Culture Shock July 29, 2010 (11:58 am)

I moved to West Seattle in January after living in the “most diverse US zip code” 98118 in Rainier Valley for a decade, with never an incident. It has been a rocky transition to White West Seattle for me, as my basement flooded, our car was broken into and ransacked in front of my house, had a hit and run to my car while parked in Jefferson Square, urns stolen from my front yard and no cell service in my new house. I have really nice neighbors though. And I LOVE the West Seattle Blog. You guys rock and in my opinion are the best thing about West Seattle!!! Congratulations to you for your prominent mention in Time and all your awards. You deserve them all.