April Fools!: But the Twitter-powered newspaper is more than a joke

Posted on by Jon Elliston

If you logged on to our home page today, April 1, you saw what it would be like if a newspaper went all-Twitter, all the time. For some, it was an idea that was hard to take seriously. For others, it was a serious scare, if only for a while. For still others, it was a welcome development.

Here at Xpress, we want to thank all of you who read, called and e-mailed about, and who contributed to the experiment. And we hope we’ve started a new dialogue about how best to use information-sharing tools like Twitter — about collaboration, empowering citizen journalists and the possibilities for the future.

To be real clear: The Xpress Twitter-powered newspaper was an April Fool’s Day stunt — but one with a purpose. We hope we didn’t confuse or offend anyone too greatly. Publisher Jeff Fobes’ manifesto and memo were artifice, as was the in-house drama here at Xpress. But if you got past the hyperbole, you saw some core truths lurking within the manifesto.

At the same time, we also hope that we’ve opened some eyes to the possibilities of working together. Xpress wants to cultivate passionate engagement. We think it’s important to track conversation around specific ideas and topics. Can Twitter help us do this? Are there better ways?

“This wasn’t just a joke — it was an experiment to see what would happen if we put all of our energy into making a Twitter paper, if only for a day,” Fobes said tonight.  “And I feel sure we will come away with things we learned and take our publication to a new level. We don’t just want to go back to where we were.”

These are just some of the notions we’re thinking about as we move forward. We welcome your thoughts — please share them in the comments below, and elsewhere on our site.

— Jon Elliston, managing editor

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Jon Elliston
Former Mountain Xpress managing editor Jon Elliston is the senior editor at WNC magazine.
View all posts by Jon Elliston →

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

12 thoughts on “April Fools!: But the Twitter-powered newspaper is more than a joke”

  3. Thunder Pig

    Twitter has great potential as an information gathering and dissemination tool.

    I am confident that this paper will be the only one in the region to properly utilize it, and the readers, in a way that goes beyond gimmick.

  7. September Girl

    ShootIhadjustfiguredouthowtorecapturesomeofthe140charactersbyeliminatingthespaces

  11. Piffy!

    Amanda, it happened at the same time, unless you count the 4 or so extra hours across the pond. Full of your self much?

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.