Mark Trahant, the editorial page editor at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, wrote about something new at the P-I: the Virtual Editorial Board. This innovation is designed to enliven what Trahant calls the “sterile discourse” of the traditional editorial model — an editorial meeting to decide a topic, articles about that topic, then letters to the editor to bring people into the conversation.
After the daily Editorial Board meetings, the P-I will post the day’s editorial topic, and readers will have an opportunity to weigh in online before the editorial staff writes anything.
Some reader comments might become letters to the editor in the print edition and some comments might be quoted in editorials.
Trahant wrote: “Will more reader participation change the P-I’s view of the world? I don’t know. Probably not, at least most days. Members of the P-I Editorial Board have strong views, but the best thing about ideas is how they thrive when placed in a competitive environment. I hope we read something from a reader that illuminates a point in a way we haven’t thought about before. We can learn from the interactive nature of the communications.”
Because of some recent problems with online polls, the P-I will be asking for all people participating in interactive conversations to register.
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