As we who are already on the nets know, news is headed here, online. While newsprint will never die -- I hope! -- many of us believe that it's time to adapt every aspect of our operations to the reality of online news.
Those who want to get their hands dirty with online news issues now, rather than being forced to do so by the competition, are the members of the new Society of Electronic News Delivery.
We are a group of journalists, publishers, consultants, online service providers, educators, and assorted others interested in taking a searching look at the future of electronic/online news products.
SEND is working to provide information on this revolution, through our upcoming newsletter, conference and magazine/ academic journal. In addition, we are seeking the best, most concentrated and highly useful ways to help each other solve the difficult problems entailed in getting publications online.
A few key questions will probably keep us busy till at least 2010:
To date, SEND has about 100 members, representing organizations as diverse as Aspen Publishers, Ziff-Davis Interactive, the Chicago Tribune, Simba Information, the San Francisco Examiner, Prodigy, Northeastern University and Digital Light.
Maybe you're next! Membership is free, for the moment. If you'd like to be a SEND member, write back to this address (anneb@netcom.com) and we'll keep you posted.
To the global village!
Anne Bilodeau is a newsletter editor and one of the founders of the Society of Electronic News Delivery. Her essay, "Into the Net: A Reporter's Transformation" appears in this issue.