Redefine journalism? No. ‘Redefine our work flow’
March 26th, 2009 at 08:01am Anna Derocher
My boss shared this with newsroom staffers last night.
Got me thinking. What if I were a reader and not a journalist? How would I consume news? Would I pick up a newspaper if I didn’t work here? Would I go to rrstar.com if I didn’t work here? Hmmm. I am pretty sure I would do the latter. It’s hard to take that journalist out of me, but I can try.
Just this morning, I told a non journalist that I expect us to have news on our Web site as close to immediately after it happens. I like to think that when something happens, the first place people will look for information is at rrstar.com or one of our sister sites. I realize there are many places to get information. I want our Web sites to be the go-to places for news as it happens.
So, the question is how do we redefine work flow to ensure we are the go-to place for info? It’s a good question. One that we are constantly asking.
I’ll share the following from the blog post below. Take a minute to read it and let me know what you think. Do you think journalism is still relevant?
“I’ve been paying attention how we absorb news and information. Newspapers do not control the flow of information anymore. By the time I get my newspaper I have learned about 90 percent of what’s in that paper someplace else. I’ve read it on the newspaper Web site, picked it up on the national news or I’ve picked it up on the street. I’ve been more aware of informal listening posts in the community, like doctor’s office or social groups, places where information is circulated.”
“I’d advise print leaders to take the best of our traditions - the critical thinking skills and news gathering skills and source building - and apply that to the Web and ditch all the other conventions of the craft,” she said. “Yes, the business model needs to be fixed, as does the general economy, but journalists (the real ones) are more important than ever.”
“We don’t need to redefine journalism in order to compete or survive. We need to redefine our work flow, not our values or news judgment. If it really is about delivering and interpreting information, then we must be platform agnostic mercenaries. Serve readers wherever they are. Period.”
Entry Filed under: Knight Digital Media, Journalism
4 Comments Add your own
1. Bob Trojan | March 26th, 2009 at 8:47 am
Anna;
I think it depends on what the definition of “news” is.
Some “news” can be nothing more than recognizing some of the many good things taking place that simply are not controversial.
Topics such as more coverage of the two winners of the Manufacturing Awards from last week, one a company and one an individual. Each one has a lot of positive aspects, but of course, non-controversial.
Topics like the high school kids who attended the same dinner…what did they see, what did they learn, were they inspired in any way?
Topics like the work going on at ACES high school, the Eigerlab, Wind Power that our local manufacturers are participating in.
The list can go on, but do they constitute “news”?
As I have blogged about the need for the President to be a Cheerleader, so I think the media also has this role.
Why, at the top of the hour, do the local TV stations report murders, crime and other negative “news”? Why should paper or web headlines also do the same? To catch readers attention? Often times, I see headlines that don’t match the story. Why?
Did anyone wonder if readership is falling because of the content of the news?
I wonder what would happen to readership and revenues if all “news” was positive or helpful only?
2. Ben | March 26th, 2009 at 9:20 am
If you want to be relevant in both electronic and print version start by lowering the drawbridge that separates the newspaper from the community. It used to be that stories ended with an e-mail link to the writer so readers could make suggestions and share news tips. Now, those links are gone. I guess you can\\\’t be bothered by those pesky customers trying to make comments. There is a great difference between a personal note about something that could or should be done, or done better, and a comment for all to read. For one thing, notes might not be on the current topic, but rather might be a tip for another story. If you want to see what an electronic news publication should look like I would recommend Comcast.net, Cnn.com and a few others. Your response to breaking national and international news is hours behind the other sources in many instances. It might be an interesting experiment to post the entire newspaper as a series of PDF files. Sure, some folks would drop their paper subscriptions, but they would still be exposed to the ads and you wouldn\\\’t have the printing expense. You might be able to convince the advertisers that a hit on the electronic version would be the same as a copy sold in terms of exposure to advertising. Good luck. The business is changing and it will be a scramble to see who comes up with the best new working model. So far Comcast and CNN are leading in that race.
3. Anna Voelker | March 26th, 2009 at 11:45 am
Bob: Good question. I am not sure what would happen if we only offered positive and helpful information. Our traffic reports indicate obituaries, crime, controversy, prep sports stats, photo galleries of local people are among the most-viewed content. But then again, our Golden Apple coverage garnered more than 7,000 page views. And that was a good-news story.
4. Anna Voelker | March 26th, 2009 at 11:50 am
Ben: I am sorry you aren’t finding e-mail links at the bottom of stories and columns. If the story was written by one of our staffers, it should have an e-mail link.
I agree that we need to be connected to the community and make it easy for the community to communicate with us. This blog is just one way we try to be transparent about what we do and how we do it. Linda Grist Cunningham, our executive editor, also has a blog at http://blogs.e-rockford.com/editorsnote/ which allows readers to converse with her. Of course, we can always do more. Send me your suggestions.
Our bread and butter is local news and I would like to see us get that information up faster. Sure, national and international info is important, and we need to be quick with that, too. The challenge is balancing what we do for the Web during the day with what resources we need to get out a newspaper each night so that it reaches your doorstep on time the next morning. That’s why we are looking at changing work flow.
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