Comments on: Some still — still — don’t get it http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/some-still-still-dont-get-it/ Notes from the classroom and observations about today's practice of journalism online Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:25:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Mindy http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/some-still-still-dont-get-it/#comment-11553 Mindy Sat, 09 Aug 2008 14:07:11 +0000 http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/some-still-still-dont-get-it/#comment-11553 Thanks, John. The interview with Chris Krewson, Executive Editor, Online/News at the Inquirer, is quite good. He sounds like a smart guy. Thanks, John. The interview with Chris Krewson, Executive Editor, Online/News at the Inquirer, is quite good. He sounds like a smart guy.

]]> By: John Kroll http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/some-still-still-dont-get-it/#comment-11542 John Kroll Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:24:21 +0000 http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/some-still-still-dont-get-it/#comment-11542 Hope this link works: Ryan Sholin talks to an Inquirer editor and, well, <a href="http://ryansholin.com/2008/08/08/chris-krewson-on-philadelphia-inquirer-memo/" rel="nofollow">it doesn't sound so apocalyptic.</a> Hope this link works: Ryan Sholin talks to an Inquirer editor and, well, it doesn’t sound so apocalyptic.

]]> By: Brian Cubbison http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/some-still-still-dont-get-it/#comment-11541 Brian Cubbison Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:31:45 +0000 http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/some-still-still-dont-get-it/#comment-11541 In Syracuse, I'm an editor who comes in at 6 a.m. to lead a mobile journalist, a photographer, videographer, court reporter and whomever we need to borrow from other reporting teams to report the news first online. An exclusive that's been weeks in the works might still be presented with print timing in mind, but rarely these days. The online news cycle is here. In Syracuse, I’m an editor who comes in at 6 a.m. to lead a mobile journalist, a photographer, videographer, court reporter and whomever we need to borrow from other reporting teams to report the news first online. An exclusive that’s been weeks in the works might still be presented with print timing in mind, but rarely these days. The online news cycle is here.

]]> By: Brendan http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/some-still-still-dont-get-it/#comment-11540 Brendan Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:23:48 +0000 http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/some-still-still-dont-get-it/#comment-11540 <em>But do you think the Inquirer’s new practice will make additional people buy the print edition? Or will the same people not buying it continue not buying it?</em> I don't think this policy alone will. But I hope its a start to getting rid of the group-think and try to find a way to create value for readers of both the online and print products. Currently, newspapers aren't striking a good balance for those who read both. The same story will be online at 2 p.m. as leads the paper the next morning, often with the same breaking news headline and lead. I hope that this policy will lead to the newspaper featuring more thoughtful analysis and enterprise reporting to lead its morning newspaper and to feature online, perhaps with added online features that you don't get when stories are rushed to the web. I’m not sure how Brendan thinks a blanket policy to do dead trees first will get him more news at 8 a.m. Is it still news if it occurred at 8 a.m. the previous day, but you don’t get to read it until the day after because of the online embargo? I don't expect more news per se. If its truly hard, breaking news, it should be featured on the web as it happens. But enterprise reporting and unique analysis could be held for both online and print to strengthen both products. But do you think the Inquirer’s new practice will make additional people buy the print edition? Or will the same people not buying it continue not buying it?

I don’t think this policy alone will. But I hope its a start to getting rid of the group-think and try to find a way to create value for readers of both the online and print products. Currently, newspapers aren’t striking a good balance for those who read both. The same story will be online at 2 p.m. as leads the paper the next morning, often with the same breaking news headline and lead. I hope that this policy will lead to the newspaper featuring more thoughtful analysis and enterprise reporting to lead its morning newspaper and to feature online, perhaps with added online features that you don’t get when stories are rushed to the web.

I’m not sure how Brendan thinks a blanket policy to do dead trees first will get him more news at 8 a.m. Is it still news if it occurred at 8 a.m. the previous day, but you don’t get to read it until the day after because of the online embargo?

I don’t expect more news per se. If its truly hard, breaking news, it should be featured on the web as it happens. But enterprise reporting and unique analysis could be held for both online and print to strengthen both products.

]]> By: John Kroll http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/some-still-still-dont-get-it/#comment-11539 John Kroll Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:16:38 +0000 http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/some-still-still-dont-get-it/#comment-11539 Could we hold off on some of the disgust until/unless we hear the reasoning and process behind the decision? I'm not defending the idea. In particular, holding reviews offline seems to be giving up on one of the advantages online gives us. And the caution to bloggers sounds suspiciously like a knee-jerk reaction to someone's online feeler turning into a story tip for a competitor. But is it so unusual for non-newspaper sites with print components to co-ordinate publication? Does your local alt-weekly post its cover stories far in advance of the print distribution? And is it so awful to hold features offline so that the print and online packages can be better co-ordinated? Does every Web site put up its non-news content as soon as it's created -- or do you hold off to co-ordinate a celebrity profile with that celebrity's appearance in your town, or a back-to-school feature with the first day of school? True, that the memo calls this an "Inquirer first" policy sounds curmudgeonly. And it could be everything its critics say it is. But I'll hold my disgust until I know what's really going on. Could we hold off on some of the disgust until/unless we hear the reasoning and process behind the decision?

I’m not defending the idea. In particular, holding reviews offline seems to be giving up on one of the advantages online gives us. And the caution to bloggers sounds suspiciously like a knee-jerk reaction to someone’s online feeler turning into a story tip for a competitor.

But is it so unusual for non-newspaper sites with print components to co-ordinate publication? Does your local alt-weekly post its cover stories far in advance of the print distribution?

And is it so awful to hold features offline so that the print and online packages can be better co-ordinated?

Does every Web site put up its non-news content as soon as it’s created — or do you hold off to co-ordinate a celebrity profile with that celebrity’s appearance in your town, or a back-to-school feature with the first day of school?

True, that the memo calls this an “Inquirer first” policy sounds curmudgeonly. And it could be everything its critics say it is. But I’ll hold my disgust until I know what’s really going on.

]]> By: Mindy http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/some-still-still-dont-get-it/#comment-11532 Mindy Fri, 08 Aug 2008 06:09:39 +0000 http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/some-still-still-dont-get-it/#comment-11532 @Paul: I hear about more and more newspapers where some editors and copy editors come in earlier, and instead of having a big editing bottleneck at the end of the day, copy is edited continually from mid- to late morning onward. This relieves stress on the editors as well as serving the online audience well. @Paul: I hear about more and more newspapers where some editors and copy editors come in earlier, and instead of having a big editing bottleneck at the end of the day, copy is edited continually from mid- to late morning onward. This relieves stress on the editors as well as serving the online audience well.

]]> By: Peg Achterman http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/some-still-still-dont-get-it/#comment-11531 Peg Achterman Fri, 08 Aug 2008 05:13:27 +0000 http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/some-still-still-dont-get-it/#comment-11531 Just as a note - yes, there are still people reading newspapers at airports! On the tarmac, in the void which is "no-electronics-until ten thousand feet!" ;) But not too many other than that! Just as a note - yes, there are still people reading newspapers at airports! On the tarmac, in the void which is “no-electronics-until ten thousand feet!” ;) But not too many other than that!

]]> By: Paul Evans http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/some-still-still-dont-get-it/#comment-11529 Paul Evans Fri, 08 Aug 2008 05:03:34 +0000 http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/some-still-still-dont-get-it/#comment-11529 I'm not sure how Brendan thinks a blanket policy to do dead trees first will get him more news at 8 a.m. Is it still news if it occurred at 8 a.m. the previous day, but you don't get to read it until the day after because of the online embargo? I would argue that the way to deal with this is not to prohibit web first, but to have a newsroom and workflow that focuses on publishing first to the platform that best serves the audience and story. My newspaper doesn't start it's story cycle until an 11 a.m. meeting each day. Then they chase stories all day until starting the paper-making process around 6 p.m. Even though deadlines have steadily crept forward, that cycle has stayed the same. The online disaster gets done on a catch-as-catch-can basis. It isn't about the rush to web, but the desperation to have something online during the day so we appear relevant. Quite frankly I don't see that serving anyone, yet still we stumble on. Adjusting the cycle isn't about being first online or holding for print. It is about planning, preparation, and understanding the various media in which we newspaper people publish and the disparate mediums to which we publish. It may be that the folks at the Inky understand none of those things. That would explain a lot. I’m not sure how Brendan thinks a blanket policy to do dead trees first will get him more news at 8 a.m. Is it still news if it occurred at 8 a.m. the previous day, but you don’t get to read it until the day after because of the online embargo?

I would argue that the way to deal with this is not to prohibit web first, but to have a newsroom and workflow that focuses on publishing first to the platform that best serves the audience and story.

My newspaper doesn’t start it’s story cycle until an 11 a.m. meeting each day. Then they chase stories all day until starting the paper-making process around 6 p.m. Even though deadlines have steadily crept forward, that cycle has stayed the same. The online disaster gets done on a catch-as-catch-can basis. It isn’t about the rush to web, but the desperation to have something online during the day so we appear relevant. Quite frankly I don’t see that serving anyone, yet still we stumble on.

Adjusting the cycle isn’t about being first online or holding for print. It is about planning, preparation, and understanding the various media in which we newspaper people publish and the disparate mediums to which we publish. It may be that the folks at the Inky understand none of those things. That would explain a lot.

]]> By: Steve Woodward http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/some-still-still-dont-get-it/#comment-11527 Steve Woodward Fri, 08 Aug 2008 03:52:44 +0000 http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/some-still-still-dont-get-it/#comment-11527 Online and print audiences don't really overlap. Publishing online doesn't steal readers from the print product, and publishing in the paper doesn't take eyeballs away from the Web site. To think otherwise, as the Inquirer apparently does, is to misunderstand the two media. Newspaper junkies will still read the paper -- and will be grateful for the additional information on the Web that can't be squeezed into print. Online readers will appreciate the fact that the publication delivers them news quickly and that they can bookmark in-depth reports for more leisurely study. As a colleague once pointed out, a news organization can't scoop itself. Online and print audiences don’t really overlap. Publishing online doesn’t steal readers from the print product, and publishing in the paper doesn’t take eyeballs away from the Web site. To think otherwise, as the Inquirer apparently does, is to misunderstand the two media. Newspaper junkies will still read the paper — and will be grateful for the additional information on the Web that can’t be squeezed into print. Online readers will appreciate the fact that the publication delivers them news quickly and that they can bookmark in-depth reports for more leisurely study. As a colleague once pointed out, a news organization can’t scoop itself.

]]> By: Mindy http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/some-still-still-dont-get-it/#comment-11526 Mindy Fri, 08 Aug 2008 03:22:16 +0000 http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/some-still-still-dont-get-it/#comment-11526 But do you think the Inquirer's new practice will make additional people buy the print edition? Or will the same people not buying it continue not buying it? But do you think the Inquirer’s new practice will make additional people buy the print edition? Or will the same people not buying it continue not buying it?

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