New Generation Of Neighborhood Journalism In Norman

It's just about midnight in Norman, Okla. Do you know where your children are?

Kidding. However, as promised, a new generation of digital journalism for our wonderful city is born in 'The Norman Files,' an idea I birthed last fall and have recreated this spring.

The publishing format is as a blog, no doubt. However, make no mistake: This is a news site. And, the goal with this site is to provide information, coverage, items of interest to Normanites that might not get as much coverage in mainstream press.

My hope is that 'The Norman Files' is at once quirky, grass-roots and useful.

I'm a journalist by trade, but in this effort, I'll be using the most basic of tools. My vision is that you the fair reader will share what's on your mind, not to mention your photographs and videos, press releases, events, etc.

If there's new construction on your street, I'd like to know about it.

If you've lost a pet, send me a photo and a name, and we'll post it.

If you're trying to raise some money for a good cause, by all means, let us know.

E-mail us anytime at thenormanfiles@gmail.com.

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We're Back April 1: No Foolin'

It's been almost eight months since I temporarily abandoned the idea of a hyperlocal news blog.

It wasn't due to lack of interest on my part or traffic. It was because I knew I didn't have a site put together that would serve the Norman community.

Specifically, I created The Norman Files as a neighborhood news site for those who live close to campus.

Each evening, I'd post and post and post, but the site was lacking several things that could make it not only a resource for visitors, but also more interesting and fresh without me having to slave over it. Ideally, I might post only 1-2 things a night and still have a site of use or interest to the community because of all the other resources.

Long story short, The Norman Files is back starting April 1.

What's new about the site?

• Google Groups linked at the top of the site where you can talk about Norman news, sports, events and review restaurants, bars and stores in the area.


• Links on the left-hand side of the page to useful Norman resources such as city phone numbers, the daily OU police report and even a link where you can go pay your water bill.


• Fresh headlines from other sites, aggregated by Google in the upper-right hand corner, keyword: Norman.


• Social Media. The Norman Files is on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Heck, we're even up to speed with 1995 and have an e-mail address now: thenormanfiles@gmail.com, where you can send us a news-tip or information about your Norman-area event or business.

Maybe once we grow a bit you'd even like to sponsor us.

Baby steps.

Between now and April 1, we'll be tweaking the site and preparing for launch. In the interim, why not check out some of the posts from our first run of The Norman Files from last fall.

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