Wrapping paper contest
I gave momentary thought this week of overruling the holiday wrapping paper contest judging panel. It wasn't that I didn't think the winners were worthy; I just liked the runners up much better.
The two winners are #1 and #2 here. Personally, I preferred the sixth and the 18th entries in the slide show.
I didn't give any serious consideration to disrupting the proper judging; you don't empanel contest judges and then mess with their deliberations. That only happens in Pulitzer judging and NFL games.
Comments (5)
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I firmly believe that most, if not all journalists want to stay -- and are dying to make changes to make it all work.
The problem is that no one really seems to know what to do to make it work.
The changes need to be significant and will actually make the newsroom more enjoyable because a clear and consistent plan will be in effect. Success will be measured!
The groping for "THE answer" in one single sentence keeps eluding newspapers -- because they have always thought that way.
"Let's redesign"
"Let's focus on community news"
"Write shorter stories"
"Let's do more blogs"
"Let's have a platform for groups to build community sites"
Everything is sold as a magic bullet.
The change instead needs to be systemic and clear.
When that is done and the results are measurable -- which they would be online -- everyone will perk up and the changes will accelerate by virture of the momentum.
It can work, but it won't be easy -- and it will take some real significant change. Egos will -- for the first time -- have to take a back seat.
A leap of faith is what it will take.
Posted on December 21, 2008 6:49 PM
I have no idea why this above post ended up under this topic... I swear I put it under the other one.. (and now I have)
Sorry.. feel free to delete it from this thread....
:-/
Posted on December 21, 2008 6:57 PM
I really appreciate your showing this online. I wanted to see all the top designs and I was wishing I could see them in color yesterday while I was reading the newspaper. Do you also have the design that the column indicated was only in black and white?
I know it's not hard news, but I truly enjoy seeing the what people in our community can do with a piece of paper and some color.
John, have you thought about having a standard symbol for "online content available" (such as a small computer screen) that you can place at the end of a newspaper article?
What did you think about the newspaper (was it in the midwest?) that cut back on it's number of days of a print version? Do you think we are going to end up without print versions of newspapers altogether or will we see a much more abbreviated newspapers and/or fewer publications days in the future?
Posted on December 22, 2008 8:32 AM
We do have a standard symbol designating online content. In this case, it was on page D2 with the continuation of the wrapping paper story. Perhaps it is too "standard" and you looked right past it.
The newspaper you're referring to is in Detroit. I think it is a gutsy move. But it's not one we're going to make anytime soon.
Posted on December 22, 2008 8:57 AM
LOL! I absolutely looked right past it. What planet have I been living on? That was polite of you not to not to laugh at my suggestion.
Since I read the paper every day and I check your online content every day, my brain must filter out that information without my even realizing it. That's rather interesting.
Posted on December 22, 2008 10:17 AM