Big papers following the lead of small ones
It is interesting -- not funny, not amusing -- to read about the big papers adopting practices of smaller papers.
Jack Shafer at Slate writes about some changes in the editing process at The Washington Post: Removing layers of editing. Allowing flexibility in determining who edits stories and when. Creating collaboration among assignment editors, copy editors and photo and designers. Earlier decision-making. Wider spans of control. (Via Romenesko.)
As the market changes, the economy slumps and traditional news operations contract, such changes are mandatory. Smaller papers like us moved in this direction several years ago. Smaller papers than us have always operated this way because they have to.
To some extent, the changes follow the Innovator's Dilemma idea that good is good enough for many newspaper readers. Why edit a story four times when twice is good enough?
They work because communication and collaboration are simpler in small organizations. In the smallest of papers, everyone does everything. Editors also report and design. Reporters also take photos and edit. Everyone helps in the production. Collaboration is vital, and silos are impossible to erect. I know because I've worked at such newspapers. As the organization grows, it attracts and nurtures specialists.
And as it contracts, it becomes important to increase the span of control and to reduce the number of hands and eyes that touch the story or photo. Writing and editing for the Web throughout the day is the obvious course. Next comes reducing the geographic coverage area and tightly focusing coverage topics.
I've written about the number of editors before and won't repeat it. Our blogs aren't edited precisely because we want a voice of authority and a conversational style to come through. (Shafer's allusion to reporters who can't write used to be true; we have employed plenty of people who were great reporters and poor writers. Some years ago, we realized that we could no longer afford that luxury and that we needed to choose good reporters who could write their way out of a paper bag. Please withhold your comments about this writer.)
What I suspect is that the big papers are struggling to find the right balance between "feet on the street" and the receivers -- editors and designers. We are, too.
Comments (6)
To report abuse of the comment feature on this site, please use the feedback form at the bottom of any page.
If you are looking for the feel of the street, I suggest shedding some political correctness in favor of straightforward ojective reporting of local news issues. For instance, critical reporting of issues in the Greensboro Police Department might be a good place to start. The weekly papers and bloggers are beating you to the punch, time and again. You should be showing them up.
Step up and show you are good for the challenge. Don't be afraid to level strong criticism when it's deserved; dismiss the notion that you might offend someone in the city power structure. Do your homework and tell it like it is. Make reading the News & Record a must each day.
Posted on March 16, 2008 3:45 PM
Thanks, Bill. The weekly papers and bloggers have different news judgments and standards of publication than we do.
Posted on March 16, 2008 6:05 PM
I wasn't upholding the bloggers or weekly papers, but attempting to let you know something about the "feel on the street."
You make it sound as though the N&R has it right and doesn't need any changes.
Posted on March 16, 2008 7:19 PM
Not intended, Bill. Well, we do believe we have the stories you're referring to right, but that doesn't mean we can't do better. Our purpose is different from some of the sites/pubs that I suspect you're referring to. They judge things are worth publishing that we don't. They also tend to publish information that supports their point of view. We don't. That's all I meant.
By the way, I said "feet on the street" not feel on the street.
Posted on March 16, 2008 9:36 PM
Why don't you put the date on the online masthead? I read several online newspapers. They all have it.
Posted on March 17, 2008 8:20 AM
GSO Resident,
With all the elements competing to be on the home page, we didn't feel today's date rose to high importance. Our belief was that most people have a calendar fairly handy on their computers. We do start our events calendar -- midway down the home page in the Go Triad area -- with today's date. On every story, we also put the date and time that the story was posted.
Posted on March 17, 2008 9:17 AM