RESTON, Va., Oct. 31, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- A new voice has joined the dialogue about the future of online news. The News2020 Project, sponsored by Voxant, will explore trends and issues affecting the news industry through interviews with industry leaders, the News2020 blog, surveys, events, and more.
News2020 is a natural outgrowth for Voxant, the creator of the Viral Syndication Network(tm) for online news. Voxant's partners include news organizations, news distributors, and a variety of Web publishers and bloggers.
"The evolution of the news industry has been driven by developments in technology for centuries," Voxant CEO Jeff Crigler said. "In 2006, we're all trying to incorporate the best of what the Internet offers to create better forms of journalism. Phenomena like mashups and super-distribution are changing the way news organizations think about themselves and how they work. With the News2020 Project, our intent is to create a collaborative learning environment for everyone in the online news ecosystem."
News2020 launched during the Online News Association's annual conference in Washington, D.C., earlier this month. The News2020 Project's video crew taped interviews with the heads of Yahoo! News, MSN.com, WashingtonPost.com, USAToday.com and BuzzMachine, as well as college journalism professors and students, and others. These industry leaders discussed what their business will look like in the year 2020, as well as the challenges and opportunities they are encountering today. Three videos are available for viewing and mashing to other sites at www.News2020Project.com.
In addition to hosting Crigler's blog, the News2020 Project is seeking partners for research projects, surveys, virtual panel discussions, documentaries, and events dedicated to the exploration of online news. "We're extending an open invitation for news organizations, news associations, journalism schools, bloggers, and anyone else who's interested to join us," Crigler said.
About Voxant
Voxant's Viral Syndication Network(tm) for online news unlocks vast new markets for news organizations and advertisers around the world, helping them get their content found, played, and paid for on the millions of Web sites and blogs that comprise the "long tail" of the Web. Voxant distributes and promotes news for leading companies such as Reuters, the Associated Press, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Bloomberg through a partner network that includes LexisNexis and Factiva, as well as a variety of Web publishers and bloggers. For more information about Voxant, please visit www.voxant.com.