Your trusted freelance journalist and blogger has only had a website up for 18 hours or so, and already the reviews have begun. People are talking about HEAT CITY, and I’m grateful for all the feedback and input.
It probably helps that, on the same day, several of my friends and former colleagues launched a subscription-based political news site called Arizona Guardian. Journalists love a trend story, after all. Still, it shows that some of the laid off many in Arizona journalism are trying new things, and experimentation is vital in our painful media market.
Here’s what people are saying about HEAT CITY:
From Ray Stern at the Phoenix New Times:
If these ex-Tribbers — Martin included — regularly scoop the competition with compelling stories, it might be worth the time to take a look. Whether it will be worth some money, too, well…
Journalist Justin McLachlan:
Freelance journalist Nick R. Martin has set up an independent Web site to cover — without any pay — one of Phoenix’s most spectacular murder trials.
Nick has been on the case for a while now and though he’s not covering the trial for that other media outlet any more, his readers will get the benefit of his in depth knowledge of the case.
Add Nick’s Heat City to your feed reader, maybe?
On Twitter:
@r3investigator: U should pitch newspapers and TV for trial cov’g. Even $30/story to 5 subs is $150/day. That’s $3K/mth. Gets u started.
@ananewsflash: Laid-off evtrib reporter Nick Martin continues to cover serial shooter trial on his blog www.heatcity.org
@templestark: if you’ve got the urge, surge. Congrats and good luck. I’ll be happy to take news photos sometimes, have background.
This is exactly why the internet is a perfect medium for new journalism projects. Look at the array of ideas, feedback and resources you can get within just a few hours after launch. Now if only some well-connected politico leaked HEAT CITY its first investigative story…(Hint.)
A blog is just a blog
Lastly, just as a point of clarification, this website is no business venture. I wish I had a solid model to finance my work. But HEAT CITY is not it. I have kicked around the idea of starting a business to fund some investigative or community journalism. Many of you have heard me talk about it. But the reality is that anything that even remotely resembles a business is far off down the road.
Still, I intend for this to be something a little special and a little different. HEAT CITY will be a place for some original reporting, and soon I may ask for small donations to keep it going, but the site itself is little more than a traditional blog. The Arizona Guardian website that launched today, on the other hand, has a corporate structure in place and intends to fund some quality political news, mostly intended for legislators, lawyers and lobbyists with business before the state. Keep an eye on it. Send them a note and let them know you support Arizona journalism.