Steve Mays
Taisir Yanis
Poynter Online: "Freehold InJersey, a community news blog run by the Asbury Park Press and Gannett, has launched a coffeeshop newsroom in conjunction with Zebu Forno Cafe in Freehold, New Jersey. The newsroom will serve as a place where journalists and the public can meet to talk about the latest news, story ideas, and important topics in the community.
At a computer workstation surrounded by diners and patrons, the staff of Freehold InJersey will conduct interviews, work on stories, and produce multimedia content for this groundbreaking website. Passers-by can stop to ask the latest news, share a tip, or learn how to post their own stories to the open-source news site. Patrons can step into the newsroom and become reporters of their own community, using the provided desktop computer to post their own scoops. Users can check their emails, surf the web, and share news stories and photos to Freehold InJersey.
"We hope that having a 'newsroom' in the center of town will encourage folks to drop by, talk to me and the other writers, and participate in a community conversation," said Colleen Curry, the editor of the website and creator of the partnership. "It will allow Freehold to get to know us, and help us get to know the people we're serving."
Zebu Forno, a European-style bakery and cafe, sits in the center of Main Street in Freehold Borough, the county seat of Monmouth County. It is a natural gathering place for the community, said manager John Cannon.
"Our goal is to be a place for people to come hang out, spend the afternoon meeting with friends or doing work. We think the newsroom fits right in with Zebu," Cannon said."
