Geeks see code as art and content as stuff. Journalists see code as stuff and content as the art. Geeks may say "provide me content" while journalists are like "build this site." With that kind of attitudes, it's hard to get buy-in from the other side and why the web is plagued by low-quality aggregators or clunky news sites. What coders and journalists should understand: they have more in common than not. Both sides are motivated by their craft and a desire to feel that an audience is experiencing their work, whether though prose or programming. Coders and writers are not interchangeable, that great talent can be an order of magnitude more effective than mediocre talent. Though discussions of case studies and mistakes, this panel will explain from both the journalists' and the programmers' perspectives how to speak a language they will understand. Successful projects form partnerships with advice and consultation from the earliest stages, rather than as an afterthought.

1. Content && Coding != Commodities
@ SXSW March 11, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012

2. Ben Balter (@benbalter)• Hacks/Hacker & White House
Jennifer 8. Lee (@jenny8lee) • Hacks/Hackers
Raju Narisetti (@rajunarisetti) • The Wall Street Journal
Andrei Scheinkman (@ascheink)• The Huffington Post
Monday, March 12, 2012

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4. — Problem —
Coders see content as
“stuff” and code as “art.”
Whereas creators see code as
“stuff” and content as “art.”
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6. Programmers and journalists are
not interchangeable.
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8. A great journalist or programmer
can be have 10x the impact of
a mediocre one.
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13. Then you click through...
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15. Why?
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16. On the Web
vs.
Of the Web.
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17. But...
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19. Both want to work
with smart people
on interesting problems
that have impact.
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20. Our
Hack and Hacker
Manifesto
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21. Coders and creators are
not short-order chefs.
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22. As leaders of the Hacks/Hackers
group, I figured you might be able
to help me track down a developer
with a bit of time to do a fun
journalism project…
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23. As leaders of the Hacks/Hackers
group, I figured you might be able
to help me track down a developer
with a bit of time to do a fun
journalism project… this month.
Monday, March 12, 2012

24. Don’t just give orders.
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25. As leaders of the Hacks/Hackers
group, I figured you might be able
to help me track down a developer
with a bit of time to do a fun
journalism project…
Monday, March 12, 2012

26. A front end developer is needed for an interesting video
project by Sii Media, a new video journalism startup
founded by Saul Hansell,. The task is to make a working
As leaders of the Hacks/Hackers
demo of an innovative interactive video newscast format.
group, I figured you might be able
Skills required are HTML, Javascript (including
modifying an existing HTML5 video player), and creating
to help me track down a developer
a very simple Web front end to our back-end CMS using
API calls. The overall work is probably one person-week
with a bit of time to do a fun
of time or so for a good developer, and this needs to be
journalism project…
completed before the end of February.
Anyone interested should contact saul@sii.tv..Thanks.
Monday, March 12, 2012

27. Collaboration is key.
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28. Talk in terms of problems.
Don’t just assign your solutions.
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30. We need new vocabulary
for these roles.
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31. Understand the
creative mind of a coder.
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32. Speak in a language that
motivates writers and creators.
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33. We hate the term“CMS.”
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34. Content is not
something to be “managed.”
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35. “It reduces the heart and soul
of journalism — stories, photos, graphics,
the news — into generic ‘content,’
something akin to the unidentifiable
filling in a Twinkie. Ick.”
— Washington Post Ombudsman
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36. Scale can come from
quality and not just quantity.
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37. Where you sit matters
(geographically and organizationally)
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38. Acknowledge contribution.
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39. What are you solving for the user?
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40. Think about things from
the user’s perspective.
Monday, March 12, 2012