Big Ideas at Poynter: The 7 to 7 breaking news blog

The 7 to 7 Breaking News Blog is the Providence Journal’s Big Idea – and all 80 reporters and photographers on the paper contribute, resulting in blog posts on every “interesting and important” story. Stories appear first as a single line or paragraph, following the motto, “Blog first – write now.” Updates add details, links, and more info.

Everything is edited before being published, but the lag time is still less than 10 minutes. Multiple reporters can contribute, with blog posts connected by common tags and similar heads.

One key: “Through frequent training of reporters and editors in the finer points of blogging — blog style, linking, tagging, etc. — we drive the point home repeatedly: We are serious about not just competing in, but winning, the breaking-news struggle with TV, radio and the Associated Press.”