Blogifying the New York Times
A whopper of a thunderstorm here in NYC has caused damage and basically shut down most of the subway system this morning. From today’s story on the storm and flooding in the New York Times Metro/City Room section:
The New York Times is interested in any photographs readers may have taken of the disruptions or damage caused by the heavy rains. Readers are invited to send to e-mail their photos (in JPG or TIFF format) to cityroom@nytimes.com.
While this sounds like an efficient way to gather a huge number of photos, I wonder how the staff photographers feel about this? Also, I’d hate to be the editor who has to look through hundreds of cell-phone snaps of garbage-clogged sewer drains.
As the Times inches closer and closer to being a blog (albeit with better writers) perhaps they should just create a Flickr group like Gothamist and other sites. For example, this photo below (by Flickr member Bill Leahy) would do a much better job illustrating the story “Transit System Crippled by Flooding” than the one currently on the Times‘ front page.
Bayside LIRR Station August 8, 2007 by bill leahy on Flickr
August 8th, 2007 Posted in New York City, Photography