Matt Thompson
I serve as an Editorial Product Manager at NPR, where I work with member stations to develop niche websites. Before coming to NPR, I worked with the Knight Foundation and the Reynolds Journalism Institute. As deputy editor of StarTribune.com, I launched the award-winning, social, arts-and-entertainment site Vita.mn. I also managed the creation of the Star Tribune's politics website Politically Connected, the development of an internal taxonomy, and other editorial projects related to community interaction and technology. Outside the Star Tribune, I'm probably best-known for being the voice and co-creator of EPIC 2014, an alternative history of the media, set in the future. Previously, I was the Fresno Bee's first online reporter/producer, and the Naughton Fellow for Reporting and Writing at the Poynter Institute. I currently sit on Poynter's National Advisory Board. You can find me and Robin (EPIC's other co-creator) blogging at Snarkmarket.My best Snarkmarket posts on journalism:The Attention Deficit: The Need for Timeless Journalism (8/07)The Press' New Paradigm (6/06)When Vox Populi Attacks (1/06)Three Rants on Rick, parts I & II, part III (11/05)The Era of Slow News (7/05)Websites you should really check out:We Feel FineJournerdismPopURLs
Buzzwurgatory: Words and phrases we should use more carefully in 2013
Buzzwords are underrated. A concept often doesn't cohere for people until it's given a name.…
Why journalists should explore the business side of news
Most of us still remember a time when revenue was enough of an incidental byproduct…
10 ways to make your journalism job application better than everyone else’s
Dear Applicant, The first time I finished a hiring process, having settled on a stellar…
How the Internet is giving the quest narrative new relevance for journalism
From Odysseus’ journey home to Mario’s mission to rescue Princess Peach Toadstool, the basic template…
How NPR benefits from agile project development & you can too
We talk a lot these days about how important it is for media organizations to…
4 types of journalists: How they tick and what we can learn from them
Nine years ago, when I was working full-time for Poynter, my colleagues and I took…
5 provocative ideas sparked by women in media
As 2012 gets moving, I thought I'd be the very last person to list some…
5 reasons to liveblog instead of live tweeting
Allow me a moment of nostalgia for the classic liveblog. “Liveblogging” was this thing we…
6 reasons journalists should ‘show your work’ while learning & creating
In a busy corner of the metajournalism world, a crowd of journalists is assembling what…
What journalists can learn from scientists and the scientific method
I don’t need to tell you that the Scientific Revolution kickstarted the modern age. Kevin…
10 questions to help you write better headlines
If you need any proof about the power of headlines, consider this: what do you…
4 ways content management systems are evolving & why it matters to journalists
One byproduct of the digital media revolution is that most journalists today are techies, to…
A 5-minute framework for fostering better conversations in comments sections
Last week, my news organization announced we were evolving our online commenting practices a bit…
10 lessons for the future from women in media
As 2010 drew to a finish and the end-of-year lists started streaming in, I began…
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