That’s the newest project by Forrest Media, an independent media company based in Phoenix. The project, called CityCircles, will wrap information about news, neighborhoods, businesses, promotions, cultural amenities and social networking around each light-rail stop. The intent is to use technology to bridge gaps in the real world to encourage deeper interaction with the city, especially at its core and around light rail.

The project was developed by Adam Klawonn and Aleksandra Chojnacka in a Knight Center media entrepreneurship class at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication last fall. The project will be funded in part by a grant from the Knight Foundation , which announced the award in June.

WHO IS BEHIND THIS?

Adam Klawonn is a native of Phoenix and has spent the first part of his career working for metro newspapers and a city magazine. He started ZonieReport.com in 2006 to cover statewide issues in Arizona and previously taught online journalism classes at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. He is the president of Forrest Media.

Aleksandra Chojnacka received her MBA specializing in strategic marketing from Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business. Prior to obtaining her MBA, she worked as an account manager for a digital marketing firm, Acxiom Digital, where she managed email marketing campaigns, online customer acquisitions and various online marketing efforts.

WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?

We believe that light-rail transit has created a completely new subculture in the Phoenix area, one that is mobile, urban and civic-minded. The light rail presents a unique opportunity to make sense of this new car-less world Downtown and around light rail stops. The technology to make this new world more meaningful is there, and the community interest is too. We want to help develop this new identity with useful tools, fun features and collaborative local journalism.

WHO IS THIS PROJECT FOR?

Light-rail users, college students, Downtown residents, business travelers, suburban commuters and all-around thrill-seekers

WHEN WILL IT LAUNCH?

The first piece of the project will launch in October. The complete launch is scheduled for January 1.

HOW CAN I STAY IN THE LOOP?

Subscribe to Forrest Media’s RSS feed up above or by clicking here .

WHERE CAN I SEND QUESTIONS/SUGGESTIONS?

You can email any ideas to Adam at aklaw@zoniereport.com .

On Saturday, Jan. 10, Forrest Media president Adam Klawonn ran a loop around the state capitol in full "Zonie" uniform with several hundred runners. All entry fees went to support outreach and coping programs.

"This is a great cause that everyone should participate in," Klawonn says. "As a bonus, it’s making Downtown Phoenix feel more alive by showing there’s a core community that cares."

After the run, Klawonn announced the winner of the December giveaway for new subscribers of Forrest Media’s flagship product, ZonieReport.com. Tracy Platt of Phoenix won a TomTom 125 GPS unit.

For more information or to invite Forrest Media to an event in your part of Arizona, call (602) 370-4030 or email Adam Klawonn at aklaw@zoniereport.com.

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Jonathan Dube, an online journalism pioneer, published a Q & A about an email discussion he had with Forrest Media president Adam Klawonn. Here is an excerpt:

“At a time when news organizations are struggling for innovative ways to cover state news (see the recent story sharing partnership in Ohio), it could be a model for independent sites in other states.

The site, which is updated weekly, uses text, audio, video and slideshows to cover how Arizona is changing, tackling subjects as diverse as air pollution and battles over Native American lands.”

Dube’s column shows that online journalism is still a wide-open field, and that the company’s flagship product treks through uncharted territory. The entire column is available by clicking here.

The latest iteration of The Zonie Report features:

• Photos from Arizona photographers on Flickr.com,
• Featured videos,
• Embedded interactive slideshows,
• Embedded audio and podcasts,
• A new-and-improved statewide news map,
• Multiple advertising opportunities.

The new website is the culmination two months of research and seemingly endless tinkering with Wordpress and the Revolution Pro Media theme created by Brian Gardner.

Revolution…Fourth of July…Independence…. Anyone sensing a theme here?

We hope this site breaks new ground for independent publishers everywhere.

The conference features a 90-minute session advising local tourism officials how to successfully pitch stories to print and online media — especially in the Digital Age.

The conference will be held at the Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa in Tucson on July 9. In March, the governor hosted a tourism dinner at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa that drew more than 650 attendees.

The session on media is crucial. It could help tourism authorities get their message out and lure more sales tax dollars to their regions at a time when state lawmakers continue to trim Arizona’s state budget to avoid a shortfall.

The effort came from Communities in Schools, a Phoenix-based nonprofit that sought to raise money through a Downtown Phoenix event in the fall. Forrest Media President Adam Klawonn was part of the steering committee assembled to plan the race.

The event was ultimately shelved because of financial constraints associated with such a complicated, large-scale race. But stay tuned, as CIS officials have not ruled this one out.