2. Aims of today Explain the origins and concept of Yoosk Describe Yoosk’s target audience Describe the challenges we face Describe the lessons learned so far Outline future plans Explore Yoosk’s editorial policy / values Explain how Yoosk works for users Review general lessons from first stage of your task Explain how features will be promoted Training in the content management system Answer any questions you have

3. The origins of Yoosk What I noticed as an educationalist The ‘first to the market or soapbox’ principle The silent majority Uncaptured diversity-the long tail What I noticed as a British Council Director ‘tele-impact’ in a globalised world, but no ‘tele- accountability’ or ‘tele-cooperation’ Democracy where you least expect it, but always at a local level Some personal lessons

4. The Concepts of Yoosk Citizen Media An interactive crowd-sourced magazine A new way of commenting and involvement in the news News interplay Partnership between pro journalists, readers and news-makers A new kind of company

5. Yoosk’s target audience Readers (passive non-members) Voter and raters (active non-members) Questioners (members) Commentors Networkers Interviewers PR monitors B2B- media companies

6. The challenges we face Chicken and Egg- from users point of view, answers are needed to prove that it is worth visiting and asking questions, from PFs point of views, a critical mass of users needed to prove it is worth answering questions. A threat to the professional order Quality of questions from the public Getting investment before the idea is copied by a large media company

7. The competitive landscape www.topix.com www.daylife.com www.digg.com www.newsvine.com www.openDemocracy.net www.avaaz.org www.globalvoicesonline.org

8. Lessons learnt so far Watertight commitment for answers from PFs Clarity of explanation of concept to PFs It takes a long time to get pieces into place Focus ‘Citizen journalism’ is a misleading term Traditional journalists are threatened by online media Media people are very, very busy. The blogosphere is another professional and social hierarchy Problems being recognised as junk mailers Dot com and domains essential for investors Confusing members, users and lurkers Getting the design right is crucial

9. Future Plans To date most promotion has been B2B Promote answers now on the site Forthcoming campaign TV format Video and audio podcasting Local media application Major media partnerships Refine and consolidate social networking element

10. Yoosk’s editorial values Values rather than policy ‘Anyone has the right to ask’ Furtherance of better understanding No party-political editorial position but we are instinctively confrontational where we see power imbalance There are at least 3 views to everything Prejudice and discrimination have no place on the site

11. How Yoosk works for users Where the content is located Interaction without joining-voting and rating Joining Asking Commenting Submitting a feature

12. General comments on your introductory pieces for Yoosk Wide variety of themes Need to elicit questions from users Balance of views Worries over getting interviewees to participate Use of hyperlinks

13. Promoting Yoosk Features Link building Yoosk widget and RSS PR on political and sports blogs (with SMNR) PR in national press PR for specific features in local and niche press Pressure groups Persuade interviewees to promote where appropriate Forums Facebook groups Within the university itself

14. Content Management System Adding a public figure Adding a picture Adding links Creating a feature Adding participants Selecting questions Editing