... or rather, MPRNewsQ!
NewsQ! That's apparently the "official" spelling of MPR's newly designated news site, which will go live Thursday at 6 a.m., according to a memo from MPR Program Director Steve Nelson.
[Update: It's live as of 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.]
Technically, it's "MPRNewsQ," though as noted earlier, variations such as NewsCue and NewsQueue work with or without the three-letter brand. You do need ".org" though.
Are you psyched? Me, too! Anyway, here's Nelson's memo so you see how they'll roll it out:
All,
Thursday morning at 6, we launch mprnewsq.org. A lot of work has gone into building it and I hope you are as excited about it as I am. When we talk about it on the air, I want to make sure we are consistent and concise to help make the launch as successful as possible. To that end, here are some guidelines about how to talk about it on the air.
Starting at 6am Thursday, we stop using minnesotapublicradio.org as a call to action. Until then, the name remains confidential.
Our Web site is called: "M-P-R News Q dot org." No need to emphasize or spell out the Q.
Our Legal ID is changing to this. It will be on the log. Please read it this way every hour. "This is Minnesota Public Radio News. Ninety-one point one, K-N-O-W Minneapolis, St. Paul. For streaming audio and breaking news, go to M-P-R News Q dot org."
As we launch the site, we're positioning it as a new product, not a redesign. It's also important for us to ask our audience to change their bookmarks. Here's some language to use when promoting the site. Please use the word "new," the bookmark language, and the tagline often.
You can see "then and now" pictures of the Hugo tornado online at M-P-R News Q dot org, Minnesota's new online source for news that matters.
Bob Collins is live blogging Midmorning on our new Web site, M-P-R News Q dot org, bookmark it today.
Steve Nelson
Program Director
Minnesota Public Radio News
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Comments (10)
David - How is MPR funded is it from just donations, from people like you? Or I'm I lucky enough to foot the bill too?
It's probably a little too early to trash the idea, since the site hasn't even launched yet but...
It sounds like an atrocious idea to me. They're going to throw away all the brand equity and visitor loyalty that is built into minnesota.publicradio.org? Changing designs? Very much needed. Changing URL? Risky.
I think this only makes sense if it's part of a larger splitting of the three stations from under the umbrella of publicradio.org, which it very well might be.
Either way, I'm already skeptical.
I consider both MPR and NPR, valuable sources for news and information. Our business makes contributions to both formats in the form of matching challenges. Joe, that means that I challenge non-members, perhaps someone such as yourself, to contribute and join. At that point, my business will match that specific contribution dollar for dollar.
As such you will have noticed Joe, the public contribution now has added value with the multiplying effect of my additional matching contribution.
Richard, do you also consider MinnPost a valuable source for news and information? Since we're also member-supported, would you consider having your business match contributions to us? (And would anyone else reading this who is doing such a match for MPR do the same for MinnPost?)
Wow, and I thought the Current and LRT re-routing would be the dumbest ideas MPR ever came up with. That url isn't memorable and it makes no sense.
I've often wondered why MPR doesn't push the easier to type (and just as effective due to an automatic link re-direct) M-P-R dot org on air - instead of the bulky Minnesota-public-radio dot org. I had assumed it was because they were afraid listeners would mishear and go to NPR.org (which is national public radio's url) instead. But now with this new url, the risk of confusion with NPR is still there, but the obvious connection to the station is not. Weird.
Yes, Reggie, good thought.
But if you were on-line during, for instance, Midday as I was today, and wanted to send a question, the "Send a Question" contact form did not appear. At the old site, it was immediately visible on their home page. I get the impression you may be linked to audio only, but could be wrong.
They do have a "Take the Tour" info-spot which I will access when I have time. Maybe it will tell me where to find things that used to be right there.
No, thanks, MPR.whatever.
(Disclosure: I am a MPR contributor, so I feel a little freer to critique than I might otherwise; and yes, Joel, I will consider contributing to MinnPost as I get into it more -- though I am hoping the blogomments are not rife with contribution requests!)
I note that Steve Nelson's memo doesn't mention *why* staff would promote the site, what's going to be good about it or what it will offer. Perhaps that was delivered in different format. I've never found MPR's website particularly useful except to follow up on stories I (partially) heard on the radio AND to track down songs I heard on the Current (really don't get Reggie's knock on that but don't want to get off topic).
How many MPR employees lost their jobs to accomodate this change?
I associate everything Q with Queer (and that is a positive association, mind you). Why the Q? is this MPR's coming out party? I don't get it.