Lost Remote Finds Focus, Takes Safran Back

The ground-breaking new media blog LostRemote.com has greeted the new year with a reboot (there’s a popular 2009 word, eh?) as it focuses on all things local news.

Lost Remote has also welcomed back Steve Safran, who was a vital presence on the site from 2000 to 2007.  LR was Safran–of Audience Research & Development–and Cory Bergman–formerly of KING Seattle, now at MSNBC.com–for years and years. The two always offered lively talks at NAB/RTNDA/RTDNA about the role of digital media in local news.

Safran is now LR editor and Bergman and Mark Briggs are the primary contributors. Here’s what Safran says about LR’s new focus:

Our “reboot,” “refocus” or whatever you want to call it is designed to help local media outlets that want the latest ideas. Lost Remote has always been a positive place that salutes innovation. We intend to focus, more intently than ever, on the local news space. There will be stories that may not be, nominally, about what a local entity is doing. When that’s the case, there will always be suggestions on how local news can adopt the lessons from that story. The best ideas in local media often don’t come from the local media.

There are plenty of articles online that seem to revel in the decline of local media. You won’t find that here. On the contrary, we’re bullish on local media. We love local news. Yes - there are big, big changes that are happening. And no, not everyone will survive. But the rewards will be many for those who reinvent…

Lennon Bergman

McCartney Safran

LR lost much of its energy and insight, not to mention its perch high on my Bookmarks list, after Safran left and Bergman moved over to MSNBC.com. But they’re back together again, and I’m psyched to see what they come up with.