For example, Pam Radkte Russell, now an assistant city editor at the Herald, said she raised her hands during meetings to ask questions. If city officials said something incorrect, Russell said she would correct them. I personally became more involved than normal in the process, giving more information, raising my hand at certain meetings to correct misinformation, than I normally would as a reporter. Most residents in Bradenton and Manatee County do not have a computer in their home. If the newspaper only published its contents through its online product, most city residents would have been uninformed about the council's decision and the Herald's efforts.
Online publications add an extra punch and provide another avenue for people to get involved.
But as of now, it cannot be the backbone for the success of civic journalism.