The opening keynote address delivered by John C. Maxwell, a former editor of Computer Magazine and now a Managing Editor for PC Magazine and Webroot, is well worth the review. It covers an array of topics related to the new world of Internet news. He starts the series with a sobering acknowledgment that there are threats to newsrooms everywhere. He lists both natural and unnatural disasters along with terrorism as examples. Then he looks at how the rapid spread of mobile technology has threatened newsroom hierarchy positions in different domains.

Then he delves into the challenges newsrooms face in staying abreast of new technologies that help news organizations deliver quality information to their audiences. This includes the challenge of preserving the trust of their audiences and maintaining access to the cutting edge platforms that are available only to those who own them. Finally he addresses the need to create new revenue streams through online commerce. This means making it easier for customers to order products and services on a site and for journalists to write about them. It is a nice call to make especially when the authors themselves are benefiting.

There are two parts to this address. The first part tackles the issues of managing a company and maintaining local news operations. It then goes on to consider some of the new technologies that will facilitate these changes. The second part looks at how newsrooms can embrace the new technologies and how these can enhance their businesses. There are some useful information and direction that can be taken from this discussion.

One thing to note is that Maxwell avoids being too technical in his discussions. He starts out with some broad strokes and ends with some more specifics but in a style that almost sound like he is giving a seminar. He does warn news organizations against moving to a digital only model. He makes a number of good points and then concludes by recommending some new technologies that have appeared lately that may help local news operations as well.

This is a very good example of how experts from an industry they comment on can discuss topics in a way that appeals to all sorts of people. There is a segment of the audience that will find something of interest and that is the reason that the panelists are on a panel. This makes it possible for a wide range of people to learn and participate. There are also a question and answer portion at the end of the book that goes into greater detail on the various topics. It is well written and makes you want to read the rest of the book.

News Tech, the opening keynote of the day, is a very detailed and well thought out book. There are a lot of things that we will hear. We will learn about managing a company and keeping it afloat in the age of the digital marketplace. We will also learn about the latest technologies that are available. These are the topics that you can expect to be discussed at one of the panelists from NAR with a new eBook on your book shelf.