Mashable casts NPR as the "future of mainstream media"

NPR's three-pronged strategy to extend local coverage, engage audiences via social media and provide ubiquitous access to its content is helping the network "grow now" and position itself for the digital media landscape of the future, according to this Mashable article by Josh Catone. "Perhaps the most important aspect of NPR’s approach to new media, is that they have an organizational level commitment to allowing listeners and readers to access their content on their own terms," he writes. "NPR’s commitment to going to its audience rather than making its audience come to them is a smart strategic move." Be sure to read the comments from readers who beg to differ with the author, including this: "One fly in the ointment of this argument: a great deal (perhaps the majority) or local content for many NPR stations is often generated by local print media, especially daily newspapers. I'm a big fan of NPR (and daily newspapers, for that matter), but -- like local TV and many, many bloggers and Twitterers -- a lot of the coal in those furnaces comes from the black-and-white newsrooms. At least today."