NPR: Trailblazer of Journalism

In my rapidly growing affinity for NPR, I've discovered some pretty neat people.

Barbara Bradley Hagerty is vital in the field of religion reporting. She recently published a book, "The Fingerprints of God," in which she recounts her experiences abroad with different faith groups. USA Today profiles her and others who are making an impact on religion reporting these days.

Andy Carvin is the "social media guy" for NPR. Props to him - Mashable (THE online social media guide) cited him as one of the reasons NPR is at the forefront of social media (among the top 25 followed accounts on Twitter). The article applauded NPR for increasing its listenership/readership in a time when most news outlets are being forced to change. That's something to be proud of.

According to the article, NPR has embraced changing media platforms using a three-pronged system:

1. A focus on local. Experts have predicted that the future of journalism is in hyperlocal news.
2. A focus on social media. They are on top of this. Everytime I visit my Facebook home page, NPR has a new story posted with a video or podcast link. My most recent favorite was a story with amateur video footage of the beatboxing champions. That's what I call entertainment.
3. News on "my" terms. With the "me" focus of social media, NPR has created its platform in a way that allows news consumers to build their news consumption. You can create playlists and channels based on your interests.

Either way, NPR is blazing the trail for what lies ahead in journalism. Snaps to NPR!