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How do you tell the story of 5,000-some inmates who will spend their entire lives in Pennsylvania prisons, with no chance for parole, because they are convicted of murder? Tom Ferrick, founder and senior editor of Metropolis, an independent news startup in Philadelphia, sought an enterprising way.

With nine Networked Journalism projects started around the county, we wondered if anyone in those communities had even noticed that independent news websites were partnering with a mainstream media organization in town. So 18 months into this experiment, we enlisted The Seattle Times to conduct an online survey to gauge the perceptions of its readers.

The best way to drive innovation is to expand the definition of innovation. But it needs to be more than just new tools. I would like to see us all embrace innovations in journalism conventions, processes, and relationships.

The Seattle Times this week announced it has added five more local news partners to the network it launched in 2009 with J-Lab support. That brings its network of local news and blogger sites to 39.

What happens when journalists fall into the habit of relying on their reliable sources? To be sure, they can turn stories quickly because they can ensure access to information. They can help their news organization keep up with breaking news that will be competitively distributed on other publications and platforms.

I have long said that more than the business model of journalism was broken. I believe the craft of journalism is broken, too. Last weekend, J-Lab tested this idea on a group of young journalists who gave up their Saturday to join what turned out to be a robust and animated conversation about “Re-Imagining Journalism.”

It’s official: The William Penn Foundation has approved a $2.4 million grant for a Networked Journalism Collaborative project in Philadelphia. A national search for a CEO to lead the initiative begins in January.

I got a sneak peek at NewsWorks.org this week. This is WHYY’s new online networked news portal for the Philadelphia region set to launch on Monday, Nov. 15. And I love the whole idea of it.