Melissa Barton, Writer

Yesterday I came across MileHive.com, a collaborative effort of Denver-area journalists and citizens. I’ve seen some projects like this before and I’ve always been skeptical, but this looks different. For one thing, it’s organized by folks with serious journalistic resumes, like Michael deYoanna. All articles are edited, so there’s quality control–I particularly like the current headline story about water shortages and Colorado’s forests. It’s written by Rick Cables, the Rocky Mountain Regional Forester, so it’s the kind of story a regular newspaper would probably see as a conflict of interest. Personally, I think the view from inside an organization like the Forest Service is as important as the view from a “neutral” journalist, provided that all affiliations are fully disclosed.

Here’s what MileHive.com is about:

So Michael [deYoanna] came back to Chad [DiPrince], shared his thoughts, and the two decided to pursue an “experiment in online journalism and forums,” a place where Michael and Chad could ask a few friends along for the ride. From there, the idea progressed to a place for a larger community, opening the floodgates for what initial projections show to be an at least workable model for a diverse, nonpartisan online news-and-views magazine. MileHive is still defining itself.

I think this site has a lot of interesting potential, and I’m excited to be getting involved (and to be able to use the photo of me sitting in a tree–it’s my favorite photo of myself, and a little too artsy for formal use).