Asheville News

Breaking: Mountain Xpress turns to Twitter power

Jason Sandford April 1, 2009

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

The Mountain Xpress press release/Twitter manifesto is here:

The Mountain Xpress, Asheville, N.C.’s, alternative newsweekly, took a remarkable step on Wednesday, ending its 14-year run as a print publication (today’s issue is our last), suspending its regular online news reports and converting its entire news operation to Twitter dispatches from staff and trusted community journalists.

…

Things are changing, and Xpress has decided not only to embrace that change but to charge ahead in a manner befitting the creativity and edge that make Asheville the continually shifting center point it undoubtedly is.

Accordingly, we here unveil the new Mountain Xpress: the nation’s first “Twaper” (Twitter-powered newspaper). After much thought and internal debate, we have decided to vault the obstacles of conflict and debate in a single, electric leap of faith. From now on, Xpress will be all Twitter, all the time, exclusively featuring the microblogging bursts of the diverse and emphatic folks who collectively make up this community.

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

I’m not sure if I’m amused or annoyed by this ad

Mountain Xpress Publisher Jeff Fobes posts video explaining ‘Twaper’

5 Comments

pseudonymous in nc April 1, 2009

The Guardian beat them to it:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/apr/01/guardian-twitter-media-technology

Reply
Me April 1, 2009

Classic! Even updated their website to say so! April Fool’s to you too!

Reply
NewspaperJunkie April 1, 2009

Good, now we won’t have to worry about editors making judgments about what’s news, what’s important, what’s good writing. Everybody his or her own editor.

Reply
Anon April 1, 2009

Fark has a New Fark Experience as well.
http://www.fark.com/NFE/

Reply
anonymous April 1, 2009

I couldn’t "twap" my mind around the fact that this made an APRIL FOOL out of me.

Reply