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June 8, 2007
Blowing up the newsroom
Our newspaper, like many other newspapers is undergoing changes like never before.
We have been told by the owners of the company, that we must "Blow up the newsroom" and start over again, if we are to compete in this new era.
We have begun to make those changes.
One editor was quoted as saying,"I don't know what to do, but I am ready to do it."
Is it enough to put today's newspaper online and call it our web site? No.
The editors at the top of new organizations are finally realizing that there has been a fundamental shift with the way people get their information. They are finally listening.
They tell us we will have databases full of information, lots of multimedia, more community contributions, rich calendar listings, frequent updates with news happening during the day...
It's easy to tell us what we should be doing, the challenge is actually making it happen.
I hear we should be doing this, or why aren't we doing that?
Why can't I post my story online right away? Why should it have to wait for someone on the online staff to post it?
Do you know html? Do you know which database to assign the story to? Do we really want letters to the editor showing up in the news section? Do we want a story on the Bridgeport zoning board meeting to end up in the high school sports section? Do you know which special characters you can use and which ones you can't? Do you know how to get the correct photo to be assigned to the correct story? Do you know how to format a table so that the data is presented in a readable format online?
The challenges are many, the answers elusive, so far.
We have begun the process of providing more of our staff with the answers the questions above, which will allow us to start providing some of the features mentioned a little earlier.
Traditional newspaper readership is shrinking every year, online readership growing. How do we put more of our resources into the web site while at the same time keeping our core product, the paper, at the level that we demand.
If we are to succeed, we must find the answer to this question.
Posted by Bustraan on June 8, 2007 8:34 PM
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