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Since joining MLive, I’ve pushed the idea of needing personalities to drive sections. And we’re really starting to see it happen more here.

That’s why I’m so pumped by a series of cooking videos posted today by The Ann Arbor News.

Food editor Susan Barnes stars in three videos that teach baking basics and how to bake Russian Tea Cakes and Double Chocolate Biscotti just in time for the holidays.

While many reporters have been taught to always remove themselves from stories, this is a perfect example of how news orgs can involve their staff members to help build communities and involve readers.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO4EwbJ6kDA[/youtube]

Having had my own food blog (link coming as soon as it’s back) for a while and watching many, I have to say Barnes does a great job in showing people interesting recipes and how to execute them properly. This sure beats trying to follow a newspaper recipe you clipped.

So why invest the time? Readers and users love to be able to connect with the people who are telling them the news. Put a face on your content, like the News did, and you’re bound to attract a loyal audience. Also, by using YouTube, the News is opening up their content to part-time cooks all over the web! By becoming that expert for the A2N’s web site, Barnes is sure to drive more people to MLive’s food sections.

Do you know of other instances where a newspaper person has become a personality on their site and interacted with audiences in new ways? Point me in the right direction, I’d really like to see more examples!

Update: I mistakenly linked another A2N video when I first published this post. Apologies for that in case you are visiting after seeing this entry in your feed. That video was another superb effort by the News about a local woman who is an “ornament junkie.”