Capstone requirements

The Spring 2002 New Media Publishing Project dealt me and my classmates the situation of the fictional Chronicle Company. This company owned the Chicago Chronicle newspaper, a Chicago television station, a Chicago radio station, and a series of locally aimed Web sites (news, entertainment, sports and several varieties of classifieds). The Chronicle was successful in Chicago, but was having trouble reaching an under-35 audience.

Kind of like the Tribune Company, you say? Bingo. They partnered with our journalism school for the project.

We were given the following requirements:

1. This is a site (service) for the Chronicle, which already has a web site called chronicle.com where it puts its newspaper content. This needs to be a strong idea, distinct from chronicle.com, that can attract a significant audience on its own merits.
2. This product will appeal to the under-35 audience.
3. It will generate click-throughs to the Chronicle's online classifieds.
4. It will provide web site sponsorship opportunities that will excite advertisers.
5. It will extend the Chronicle brand -- and its sponsorship potential -- to new platforms and formats such as broadband, cell phones, PDAs, email alerts, newsletters, etc that make good use of the unique properties of those platforms and formats.
6. It will help induce this audience to subscribe to the Chronicle and will help drive click-throughs to the Chronicle's subscriber-only web site.
7. This is journalism.
8. It is a solid business idea, and it is a sustainable business.
9. Consumers will want it.

How my team met the requirements:

We created "The Chicago Game," a news- and community-driven online game with a multi-media, multi-platform nature. To find out more, view the game's Web site or download our Powerpoint presentation. The presention includes a full range of plans, from content to gameplay to business.