Sablan says a story-streaming platform should have three key characteristics. It should be story-centric, of course, including elements that make for a good story, such as characters and plot. It should provide the opportunity for real-time curation (one of Sablan’s big interests) and filtering. And it should be integrated with what the newspaper already produces, such as making a story-stream out of each item in the police blotter.

Granted, some smaller communities might not have enough information capital to put into a system like this — or the reporting manpower to accomplish it — but I think that when small additions here or there are combined with the long tail, you can make something rich online that readers will find value in.

Related posts:

1. Life Streaming
2. Cut This Story! — The Atlantic (January/February 2010)
3. Langeveld: Newspaper downturn caused by shift in American interests, not by Web