Archive for June, 2008
June 30th, 2008
Welcome to Christie Bobbitt, metro editor of the Register Star and rrstar.com. It’s her first day in the newsroom. Christie comes to Rockford by way of the Fort Myers (Fla.) News-Press, where she was an assistant metro editor. She oversees the reporters who cover local beats like schools and community news. Christie replaces Dave Warner, who left in May to be editor of two newspapers in Connecticut. You can reach her at local@rrstar.com.
Christie Bobbitt
June 27th, 2008
I was surfing the Web today and came across this gem of a story: Baby Jesus back after 6 years. Talk about news of the weird.
Here’s a great quote from the West Des Moines, Iowa, woman who got back the key member of her large nativity: “Seven months later, they told me it was a cold case. We were going to buy a whole other manger scene because you can’t just buy the baby Jesus. But who needs six kings, two Josephs and two Marys?”
June 27th, 2008
Oh, you betcha. And in honor of the one-year anniversary Sunday of the iPhone debut, I share with you my favorite media video ever. It’s David Pogue, personal-technology writer for the New York Times, singing to the tune of “My Way,” “iPhone: The Musical.”
Stick with it till the end. It’s worth it cause you’ll get to watch a bunch of New Yorkers singing.
And, no, I don’t own an iPhone. And this musical didn’t make me want to buy one. I just love the creativity.
June 26th, 2008
Interesting report on Editor & Publisher on what college journalism students are learning in the way of multimedia. No surprise, but most of what they’re learning, they’re learning on their own.
June 26th, 2008
Brought my kids, Luke and Abraham, with me into work a few mornings this week because they had Vacation Bible School right around the corner at St. James. They love coming into the newsroom. For the first time, we went into the building from the back and they got to see the GO section running on the press and being carried by the “gripper” into the packaging department. Boy, they were fascinated. It was hard to drag them up to the newsroom after that.
Now, they ask if we can take the “newspaper way” into the building.
Their wide-eyed wonder over what we do here each day made me smile. Whether it’s putting news and information in print or via the World Wide Web, we do make a difference each and every day in the community. And, yes, I’m sure there’s some snarky response to that. But love us or hate us, we are the primary source of news and information in this community. And that means something.
Here’s a shot of my boys at my sister’s April wedding.
Abe, 5, and Luke, 6
June 25th, 2008
We posted a story today about a northwest Rockford neighborhood upset that a home in their neighborhood will house homeless Veterans. Well, you all are talking about it, and you aren’t happy. Join the discussion.
You’re also talking about the man who died in police custody after a domestic-disturbance arrest.
June 24th, 2008
We have some talented journalists in our newsroom, and I enjoy watching as they grow into multimedia journalists.
Billy Kulpa, a 2001 Harlem grad and 2007 NIU grad, started with us Jan. 7. On his first day, Billy was shooting footage of the Boone tornado. He got this story on Edwards Orchard. And that video, which he shot with a Sony Handycam, is pretty terrific.
In the last six months, Billy’s learned how to shoot video with our Sony HD cameras. On Saturday, he used that equipment for this story on the Phantom Regiment’s conductor. See/hear any differences in Billy’s latest production?
Billy Kulpa
June 23rd, 2008
Brian Williams filled Tim Russert’s seat on Meet the Press yesterday and announced that Tom Brokaw will temporarily moderate the show. The first guests were Senators Lindsey Graham and Joe Biden. The pair were supposed to appear on the show the week before, but were rescheduled after Russert’s unexpected death.
Brokaw will fill the seat, at least temporarily, but who should get the gig permanently? Brokaw? Other names have been mentioned. Katie Couric. Chris Matthews. David Gregory. If you called the shots at NBC, who would you choose?
June 20th, 2008
a big announcement:
starting monday, doug gass will be the managing editor of the rockford register star, the no. 2 leadership position in the newsroom.
doug has been at the register star since 1993. he started as a copy editor and has worked in management for a long time: as assistant news editor (he was one of my first bosses), features editor (that’s how many people know him) and deputy managing editor (part of the top management team).
clearly, doug has been committed to rockford and the register star. you’ll start learning more about him in this video and this story.
doug replaces lil swanson in the job. lil, whose last day is today, will be missed for her commitment to recruiting, training and doing the right thing for readers and her staffers (she brought in a swedish pancake breakfast for her turn in the weekly donut rotation, for goodness sake!). as she would say, “be good!” we wish her well.
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