1. Possible Issues
1.1. Finding, Keeping, Motivating Good Contributors
1.2. Building Traffic
1.3. Competition & Collab w other blogs
1.4. Balance Partisanship and Journalism
1.5. Maintaining Quality on Community Site
1.6. Legal Issues
1.7. Turning Lurkers into commenters and posters
1.8. working with candidates and elected officials
1.9. maintain civility
1.10. getting media attention and credit
2. Find, Keep, Motivate Good Contributors
2.1. How finding new contributors
2.1.1. TX Chaos
2.1.1.1. numbers
2.1.1.1.1. 6-8 front pagers
2.1.1.1.2. 20 active diarists
2.1.1.1.3. 800 user IDs
2.1.1.2. found it's cyclical
2.1.1.2.1. sickness
2.1.1.2.2. political activities impact blogging time
2.1.1.2.3. will be hard. maintain WHY you're doing it
2.1.1.3. actively put a diary up occasionally asking for opinions
2.1.1.3.1. if u write something good, we'll front page it
2.1.1.4. comment freely when people write
2.1.2. California
2.1.2.1. braindrain. outsourcing.
2.1.2.1.1. all think of themselves as natonal blogs
2.1.2.1.2. some nat'l sites have great state content
2.1.2.1.3. sometimes ask those folks to cross post
2.1.3. BLue Jersey
2.1.3.1. numbers
2.1.3.1.1. 10 front pagers
2.1.3.2. ID more serious contributors
2.1.3.2.1. communicate via google groups
2.1.3.2.2. created inner circle, editorial team for decisions
2.1.4. Burnt Orange
2.1.4.1. turn group over ever six months
2.1.4.1.1. core group of 3
2.1.4.1.2. cattle call applications
2.1.4.1.3. review frequency and quality of posting
2.1.5. Colorado
2.1.5.1. very evangelical politically, with DL e.g.
2.1.5.2. people worth reading tend to stick around
2.2. Are Issue Blogs Different or the same
2.2.1. PHB
2.2.1.1. most contributors were frequent commenters
2.2.1.1.1. i liked their work
2.2.1.1.2. i was busy
2.2.1.1.3. they wanted to help
2.2.1.2. careful about the KIND of contributors you have
2.2.1.2.1. progressive white male perspective
2.2.1.2.2. transgender perspective
2.2.1.3. daily life has impact on folks
2.2.1.3.1. not paying them, so can't ask that much
2.3. Paying Contributors
2.3.1. can be symbolic. $25 a month. about respect
2.3.2. tip system?
2.3.3. typepad blogs has very integrated tip jar
2.3.3.1. have used to help pay site fees
2.3.3.2. could be used to pay contribs
2.4. Building Your Audience
2.4.1. more offline activities?
2.4.2. need more readers to get more contributors
2.4.3. interaction w/ state dem party (ex MI and NH)
2.4.3.1. not beholden
2.4.3.2. parties can be open minded about using blogs
2.4.3.3. created knowledge of state party politics
2.4.3.4. blogger meetups at state party convention
2.4.3.5. party officials read blog
2.4.4. get in the news
2.4.4.1. find scandal
2.4.5. cross-posting b/w larger sites
2.4.6. put blog in your signature line
2.4.7. daily news roundup (blue jersey)
2.4.8. google!
2.4.8.1. SEO
2.4.8.1.1. tagging articles w "campaign 08" for example
2.4.9. RSS feeds
2.4.9.1. notify google and technorati of updates
2.4.10. include video
2.4.11. frequent posting
2.4.12. links are currency
2.4.12.1. link to each other!
2.4.13. be of high quality
2.4.14. state politics wiki on elections etc. can lead to blog
2.4.15. go to local party meetings
2.4.16. (RI) followed lincoln chafee around in costume. got covered by TV
2.4.16.1. lame duck costume at state house during press conf
2.4.17. making press contacts. doing press calls
2.4.17.1. watch news. find who you like. call/email them
2.4.17.1.1. "i love what you do. let's get coffee"
2.4.17.2. watch pundits the press goes to regularly
2.4.17.2.1. call them out on ignorance
2.4.18. transition into journalism
2.4.18.1. as newspapers downsize could be good opp
2.4.18.2. writee Op Ed piece
2.4.18.2.1. gives more attention and elevates voice
2.4.18.2.2. gives more credibility
2.4.18.3. get linked from reporters / news stories
2.4.19. mention people's names, esp reporters
2.4.19.1. they have egos and google alerts
2.4.20. track your blog
2.4.20.1. google alert on blog and byline
2.4.21. negotiate with alt weekly and indie papers
2.4.21.1. state political roundup
2.4.22. get used as outlet for "informal statements"
2.4.23. comment on other blogs
2.4.24. use reader emails. send monthly summary
2.4.24.1. use constant contact to manage
2.4.24.2. email is diff medium
2.4.24.3. feedburner daily newsletter
2.5. balance being partisan with news delivery?
2.5.1. there is activist vs journalist division among bloggers
2.5.2. take shots at dems when out of line
2.5.3. play good cop bad cop with coalition of bloggers
2.5.3.1. roundup links to more inflammatory posts. "wasn't me"
2.5.4. ex. ID frank church banquet. reamed party for not having youth there
2.5.4.1. new state party chair dispatched young blogger to deliver his msg of party future
2.5.5. being member of state party = conflict?
2.5.5.1. could be liability
2.5.5.2. can't talk about certain things
2.5.6. institute conflict of interest policy (MI liberal)
2.5.6.1. disclose paid positions or other affiliations
2.5.7. spend time trying to make Dems more progressive (NJ)
2.5.8. keep in mind your blog's mission
2.5.9. engage with opposing or critical arguments
2.5.10. have diversity of opinion
2.5.10.1. among bloggers
2.5.10.2. among commenters
2.5.11. thoughtful partisanship
2.5.11.1. some dems are corrupt
2.5.11.2. some GOPs are honest
2.5.11.3. good people can cast bad votes
2.5.12. are you trying to persuade or trying to score?
2.5.13. are you talking on your blog to hear yourself talk or to have a conversation with someone else?
2.6. turning lurkers into commenters and posters
2.6.1. ask them!
2.6.2. soapblox recommend function can help
2.6.3. get people comfortable with commenting
2.6.3.1. gateway drug?
2.6.3.1.1. caption contest
2.6.4. open threads
2.6.5. get input on media appearances
2.6.6. liveblogging
2.6.6.1. aapp does the primaries
2.6.7. never underestimate having fun
2.6.8. wide variety of content (burntorange)
2.6.9. put up non-political subjects
2.6.9.1. in off hours / days
2.6.9.2. caption contests
2.6.9.3. politics of hair ex. from PHB
2.6.9.4. politics of using hair conditioning ex from PHB
2.6.10. front page poll. change regularly
2.6.10.1. on soapblocks you have to register to vote
2.6.10.2. poll your reader demographics
2.6.11. multi-part story arcs
2.7. letting state capitol officials comment/write on your site?
2.7.1. don't out people
2.7.1.1. some folks would never share with their ID
2.7.2. don't let people from one campaign attack another though
2.7.2.1. email privately first if they cross the line. warning
2.7.3. there's diff between anonymous and pseudonym
2.8. LLC structure
2.8.1. did after getting threatened with lawsuit
2.8.2. others set up PAC
2.8.3. LLC helps with grant applications