Elaine Helm Norton

Starting a new chapter

elainehelm — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 17:06:25 +0000

It’s been three months now since I left my newspaper.com job for a PR agency positition that seemed uniquely suited for a former military reporter with a strong interest in social media.

Although I do most of my work for one client, the Army, each day presents new challenges and opportunities. I work with a fun team of smart people in Seattle, Minneapolis, Vancouver (WA not BC) and elsewhere. And I get to help share authentic stories about life in the Army through programs like Army Strong Stories.

So far, so good.

It’s OK to have fun with social media

elainehelm — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:40:06 +0000

Journalism is serious business. The stories we tell can make a real difference in the lives of individuals and for the communities in which we work. But that doesn’t mean we have to be serious all the time. A little playfulness is a good thing.

Social media, in particular, gives us a chance to have some fun. That’s why I decided yesterday to challenge Paul Balcerak of PNWLocalNews.com to a friendly competition for Facebook fans. Both of us are trying to make connections with our sites’ audiences through social media. Why not throw down a challenge to get people engaged? Paul weighs in on the battle at his blog and gets the point just right with a link to Steve Yelvington:

Social media isn’t about being all serious, all the time.

You’ll find other examples of just-for-fun content at HeraldNet.com on two blogs: The Buzz and Midday Snacks. The Buzz has a home in print, at the bottom of the front page every day. Midday Snacks is something I started last week with several reporters, copy editors and others to give people tidbits of interesting stuff from around the Web each weekday about lunchtime.

All that is to say: Embrace the fun. And don’t forget to help me beat Paul by becoming a fan of HeraldNet.com on Facebook before 5 p.m. Friday.

Covering the USS Abraham Lincoln

elainehelm — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:50:59 +0000

I recently wrote or collaborated on several stories for The Herald about the USS Abraham Lincoln, the aircraft carrier homeported in Everett. It felt good to stretch my reporting muscles again and to see my byline in the print edition of a newspaper. I’m also glad I could use my military reporting experience to provide context for the Navy’s decisions and explain why those decisions matter for the people who live in the area.

You can see the progression from breaking news to in-depth analysis in these three stories about the Lincoln leaving Everett:

Lincoln to leave Everett in 2013

Navy won’t confirm USS Nimitz is coming to Everett

Everett may have to lobby for Lincoln’s replacement

Here’s another story about the crew’s progress in improving morale and discipline under a new commanding officer and top enlisted leader:

How the USS Lincoln improved discipline and morale

Please pardon the mess

elainehelm — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 23:51:27 +0000

This is the beginnings of my portfolio site and my first experiment with WordPress. I’ve worked with several other open-source blogging/CMS platforms, and I’ve recommended WordPress to other journalists who want to develop Web skills. So it’s time for me to take the plunge.