Ben Burns | Detroit, Mich. | Inactive
Wayne State University’s journalism program, under the direction of former Detroit News editor Ben Burns, recruited some 20 displaced or retired journalists to write and edit content from citizen contributors and online journalism students at WSU and the University of Michigan-Dearborn for a full-service news and information site about Detroit’s five Grosse Pointes. Professionals pledged $20,000 in seed money to support the first year of the program. The site was active until Burns died in September 2012.
Project Updates
- GrossePointeToday.com Will Be Financially Viable Into 2013 (May, 2011) - Two years after launching GrossePointeToday.com, editor Ben Burns reports the site has seen positive cash flow for each month in 2011 and he expects it to remain financially viable for at least a couple more years. In the five cities GrossePointeToday.com serves, the site has become a “recognized and respected news and community information force.” […]
- GrossePointeToday.com Revamp Gets Results (November, 2010) - — Briona Arradondo, J-Lab intern The team behind GrossePointeToday.com is demonstrating that flexibility and a consistent focus on improving its site for users can have an impact on audience size and engagement. Among the changes made after GPT’s president, Sheila Tomkowiak, returned from a Knight Digital Media Center News Entrepreneur Boot Camp, was a refocused […]
- Grosse Pointe Today and Tomorrow (June, 2010) - Despite its woes with an advanced content management system and headaches with a failed advertising partnership, Grosse Pointe Today continues on track for its second year. In addition to receiving 501(c)3 status from the IRS, the site has also signed an experimental agreement to share content with Yahoo. GrossePointeToday.com launched with a beta version in […]
- GrossePointeToday.com Moving In the Right Direction (March, 2010) - Ben Burns, editor and publisher of GrossePointeToday.com, was hopeful when he developed a relationship with “The Little Blue Book”, an advertising publication in town. The company sells space on GroseePointeToday.com — and did sell $850 worth of advertising in January. But, Burns adds: “We did have a little difficulty convincing them that we wouldn’t simply […]
- Grosse Point Today Pleased With Modest Success (December, 2009) - Ben Burns, the editor and publisher of Grosse Pointe Today, says that the site is performing well since its recent launch. ”…community members like what we are doing and see it as a professional alternative to the local weekly which avoids controversial stories.” “We continue to be pleased with our modest progress,” says Burns. “We […]
- Becoming part of the Grosse Pointe community (October, 2009) - “The bottom line is that we are pleased with our progress so far.” There have been frustrations. And there have been setbacks. But Ben Burns, the editor and publisher of Grosse Point Today (and the Director, Journalism Program, Wayne State University in Detroit) says that things are, over all, going well. “The bottom line is […]
