The size of it all could indeed be a major problem. But who knows, if you can run a campaign on micro donations, why not a newspaper? Berlin-based daily paper taz is owned by its readers. You kinda become a member, it’s like buying stock, only somewhat less business-y. It’s a collective ownership thing. So I have to admit, I’m not at all sure on this one.

The contradiction between traditional, professional, paid journalism and citizen/user journalism – I don’t really think there needs to be one. Sure, on one hand you have the journalists droning on about the lack of quality in user-generated content, on the other hand you have bloggers bitching about journalists’ snobbish attitude. But think about how awesome a combination of the two could be: Citizen reporters & bloggers see everything because they are, collectively, everywhere. Paid journalists do the tedious, traditional journalistic stuff like fact-checking, copy-editing and all. (A close friend is writing his PhD about the very combination. I think I need to ask him for a brief overview of what’s going on and post it here.) How that could work for the NYTimes? Who knows ;)

The third point you’re raising is also interesting, and crucial. Dunno – is it really blogs that are killing the newspapers? Or just the ad market? Both? Not sure, but I really hope there can be a mix of both user-generated and professional media. While I’m a sucker for blogs – and user-generated media, social media, community-driven media – all that kind of stuff, I have to admit I hate the idea of not having some traditional, old-school, hard-core journalists around. Not so say that blogs couldn’t potentially cover all the stuff media supposedly do. But it still feels good to know that someone, somewhere, is actually paid to keep digging even if everybody else feels like sleeping in.

(100% agreed, the Article Skimmer is a mere toy, for looks, not substantial. I kinda like the idea of newspapers trying to reinvent themselves, though ;)

So. Where does that leave us? ;)

2. Isn’t the idea of community reporters (a la CNN’s ireporter) directly contradicting their idea of “experienced journalism”?

and
3. Isn’t that just asking their community to do what many do anyway -publish themselves (blogs etc)- which is what’s caused the demise of newspapers to start with?

The article skimmer is all well and good, but it doesn’t seem to be anything more than a bit of plastic surgery on a career-flagging filmstar. Prettying up doesn’t change the fact that their roles are over. Robinson’s statement read to me more like they’re planning on becoming an agency employing journalists but not publishing – a bit like a paparazzi company.