The Fort Myers News-Press has 14 mojos (mobile journalists) on the streets covering stories for the web first, newspaper second. It’s part of a larger Gannett experiment to reinvent the newspaper online. Many of the mojos — who work out of their cars with wireless laptops — are focused on covering stories for the site’s hyperlocal sections. Some of the other interesting initiatives at the News-Press include “crowd-sourcing” investigative stories, hiring a managing editor in charge of “audience building” (who tracks popular stories in the stats) and liberal message board policies that even allow profanity. “We’re trying a lot of things. Some will work; others won’t,” said Kate Marymont, the executive editor. “It’s like play.” Very interesting stuff.


