Nick Booth's new approach to journalistic research

Freelance journalist Nick Booth has a new blog - or a research portal as he describes it. He is asking PRs to post responses to questions for various features he is writing - the idea being that you can see what everyone else is saying. "And avoid repeating anyone else's cliches."

It's an interesting concept - not sure how PRs will take to seeing their responses in full public view - but perhaps it might act as a quality control mechanism - and then you could see which quotes actually make it into the final article. Or you might resubmit answers in the light of other responses.

Worth seeing how this works out.

Comments

[Richard Millington]

I think this is quite a good idea. Comments allows for discussion between experts better than other services e.g. Response Source, ever could.

[Mary Branscombe]

I tried that asking for suggestions for companies to meet in Silicon Valley. Simon is obviously much better read as he got far more replies!

[Sally]

I also think it's interesting, but not sure whether gathering expert comment on a blog really stands up against actually doing interviews and asking questions - you can judge a lot more about someone's views and ask way smarter questions when talking to them compared to over email.

I hope Nick uses this as a way to source interviews rather than as a way of getting quotes for articles - if he did, wouldn't there be an issue of what the magazine was paying for if the comments were already freely available on a blog?