Finding new ways to develop content is one of the joyful challenges of managing an interactive Web site like NSBNEWS.net. Our newest presentation is the use of "rotating" headlines to bring you the latest in U.S./world news, sports wire and Hollywood gossip. Of course, these are enhancers to our main staple of providing around the clock Internet coverage for greater New Smyrna Beach.
The wire headlines include photos, videos and other graphics and are updated constantly and you can click on the wire promos to get a continuous flow of news around the world. By "rotating" we mean the headlines literally fade in and out every few seconds unless you click on the one you want. You can also click the link to go to the particular page for countless more wire news, college and pro sports and Hollywood gossip
We also have two new mottos in providing this continuing enhanced Internet technology at NSBNEWS.net: "Where Journalism Lives" and "Lowest Advertising Rates."
Since our launch in April 2008, the mission of NSBNEWS.net has been two-fold: To provide timely, relevant news that informs, evokes emotion and makes a difference for a well-informed community and to offer advertising to support the news coverage.
Both are equally challenging and demanding. And in these tough economic times, everyone is struggling to make ends meet. The Internet is the future of journalism and that future is now in the early 21st century. We are certainly pioneers in that regard. NSBNEWS.net is the only daily on-line newspaper in Florida that doesn't have a print version to fall back on for advertising. But we have so many other benefits:
# Journalism experience: Your's truly has been at it for 25 years and along the way, has managed to win quite a few state and national journalism awards in Florida, New York and Massachusetts as a reporter and city editor. I also have a lot of experience coverig major breaking news in Volusia County since 1995: Witnessing the execution of serial killer Aileen Wurnos, covering the Trull Brothers murder trial, profiling the Outlaws motorcycle gang, to name a few.
# Community bloggers: I recruited longtime New Smyrna Beach resident Peter Mallory, who has devoted many years to writing letters to the editor and other guest commentaries to local newspapers, to help me with the initial start-up. I signed up other community bloggers such as Capt. Budd Neviaser, a longtime fisherman and hunter; Darlene Vann of Edgewater, who writes myriad "musings; Joe Glasse, a seasonal NSB resident, along with Edgewater residents Gerry Tatham and Mike Visconti who write about politics; and others.
# Our ads are the lowest because we have the lowest overhead of any local media. We don't have to worry about skyrocketing newsprint and production costs, deliveries or salary demands that come with print media.
# Readers have embraced us as demonstrated in our "hits" as reported by Google, with 1.200 daily and growing. We have 2,500-plus e-mail subscribers who receive our breaking news alerts. Advertisers who invest in us will reach more people and they will get a bigger bang for their buck. What advertisers spend in one month in print newspapers, NSBNEWS.net can offer for a year.
# Our intense coverage of greater New Smyrna Beach provides a strong media voice for all residents with our multi-media use of stories, photos, videos and graphics, all designed to bring news as it happens.
# NSBNEWS.net is free -- there are no subscription costs, no delivery charges, no sign-up fees,
# We are environmentally friendly. Trees are not killed. Paper and ink is not wasted. Your yard is not inundated with newsprint.
# All you need is access to the Internet.
We'll continue building NSBNEWS.net without compromising our integrity with conflicts of interest with public boards and agencies where tax dollars are involved. We strongly believe we can survive and even thrive by continuing to build our journalism mission, from providing breaking news and in-depth reporting and taking the lead like we have with this season's election coverage. Not only have we produced two successful public candidate debates with the Public Watch Committee, but have a third and one Monday in advance of Early voting. In the process, we have provided more election coverage than all of the other local media outlets combined.
We look forward to seeing you at Monday's debate, 6:30 p.m. at the Brannon Center on Riverside Park. And of course, we'll have gavel-to-gavel video coverage. What's so rewarding is seeing our hits double and even triple when we post these videos. Thank you for your continuing interest in NSBNEWS.net