More digital developments at NPR

The best electronic media journalism organization in the country and our stations' nearly 12 billion listener hours each year deserve the best response possible to the challenges of multiple emerging digital platforms.  OK, that's bragging, but true.  A couple of weeks ago, I wrote here about Seven ways to use public radio on your smartphone.  Earlier last month, I posted about NPR's digital distribution strategy.  In early August, we announced that we'd brought Public Interactive to NPR.  July brought NPR's open API announcement (about which see a longer post here and also Todd Mundt's post).

But since "the times, they are a changin'," there's more:

Hibbing, Minnesota's favorite son, Bob Dylan, is giving NPR.org listeners an exclusive one-week free preview of his new two-disc recording, Tell Tale Signs.  Check it out here.

Current notes that NPR hires USA Today editor to run its Digital Media wing.  That would be Kinsey Wilson, who starts later this month with a lot of enthusiasm from myself and our staff (Link:  paidContent.org; Link: NPR press release).

NPR's Dick Meyer writes, NPR Launches Online Community, in his blog.  Check out the post, then check out the new features of NPR Community.  See the  review of it on Ars Technica.

See also Jennifer Dorroh's The Transformation of NPR in American Journalism Review's Oct./Nov. 2008 number.

Finally, check out Anick Jesdanun's NPR boosts online offerings, seeks larger audience for the Associated Press.

Ya think those reports in March that NPR was slowing its commitment to digital may have missed the mark?

Updated 3 October, 2008:
Also, see Chris Snyder's NPR's Digital Evolution: Social Networking, Open API, and Training the Dinosaurs at Wired.com.

And, Sam Churchill's NPR Mobilizes in dailywireless.org:

... NPR management is reimagining the company, and its journalists are learning to reimagine their stories. ¶  NPR has an intense, seven-week training course in multimedia journalism that encouraged reporters to expand their repertoire of reporting and storytelling skills. As of October, NPR will have started or completed the training of about 40 editorial staffers in three groups, and aims to bring the other 410 up to speed in multimedia by next fall. ...

Updated 4 October, 2008:
And, NPR opens the doors on its social network in Zooped.com.

--Dennis