Bricks & Clicks
The Rockford Register Star is more than a newspaper: the ink on print or the “bricks” in the News Tower. We’re a multimedia news and information company: the “clicks” on our Web site and the TV clips on WREX-13. This blog explains our fast-changing media environment and interacts with our readers to show how and why we do what we do.

Posts filed under 'Blogs'

Superintendent warns grads of perils of anonymity

Add comment June 6th, 2008

Greg Reibman, editor of a group of community newspapers/Web sites in the Boston area, this morning shared with GateHouse colleagues a graduation speech by a local superintendent. Lincoln-Sudbury Superintendent John Ritchie said, “Don’t be afraid to say what you believe. Say what you think. And make sure your name is attached to what you have to say.”

So far, I am digging what this guy has to say.

Then he starts in on the local media, criticizing blogs and comments on media Web sites and warning 2008 grads not to sink to levels “that some adults in our community have sunk.”

He says blogs are a “gimmick from a dying industry to gain readership by allowing anyone to write anything anonymously.”

Take a look …

Ritchie also has great advice: “If you ever find yourself in a position where you are writing things for public consumption that have no intent other than to cause pain, cast dispersions on people, call people’s character into question, question their ethics or honesty, and you’re afraid to sign your name because if anyone ever knew it that it was you who was writing it you would be ashamed or embarrassed, you are on the wrong track.”

Can’t agree with him more … on that.

Still, I have trouble with Ritchie’s criticism of blogs. Not sure how you can have an opinion on something you admittedly have never read. My guess? He probably won’t blog about the issue.

Well, at least he gave me something to blog about.

in the season of mother’s day and father’s day…

Add comment May 20th, 2008

for almost a year, we’ve been talking about starting a military moms/dads blog: a place where parents can share advice and give insight to those of us who don’t have family serving in iraq, afghanistan or other foreign missions.

we could run excerpts in our thursday people section.

would you read it? would you contribute to it? let us know in the comments. or e-mail me at jpollock@rrstar.com.

p.s. it’s also the season of memorial day. we often don’t think about the meaning of the day except to grill out or attend a parade on a day off. it is a day of remembrance to honor those who have died serving our country and dates back to the civil war era.

how to help bloggers? with a blog, of course

1 comment March 31st, 2008

it only makes sense that san antonio’s newspaper web site created a blog for its bloggers.

the blogger-powered blog offers basic tips like how to edit your work or insert code, but it also shares ways to become more engaging, to write better headlines, to attribute source material, to understand terms of use and to see whether your blog is on-topic.

helpful, i’m sure, to the bloggers and the newspaper, since the site has dozens of bloggers.

i might even keep checking it now and then…

It’s a blogging world (or it should be)

4 comments January 29th, 2008

Here’s a good post on why journalists should blog. It’s written by Howard Owens, director of digital publishing for GateHouse Media (our parent company).

My reasons for blogging …

  1. Transparency. There’s something to be said about that in today’s world.
  2. Gives me a way to connect to the community. Plus, it’s amazing how many great tips and comments I’ve gotten from readers. I welcome the criticism, too.
  3. It’s fun. Yep. I enjoy doing this stuff.

Packers fall short

1 comment January 21st, 2008

My beloved Packers lost last night, so I won’t be blogging all the time on Pack Smack. If you have hadn’t a chance to check out our special report, you should. We had a lot of fun. And besides, there’s always next year.

Forgive me

6 comments January 18th, 2008

I’ve been busy with the Packer blog. And messing around in our photo studio. Find out why here.

Thomas and Anna blooper

New blog, special report

Add comment January 15th, 2008

Whoo, hoo. The Packers are playing Sunday for the opportunity to go to the Super Bowl. Here’s one fan who isn’t shy about telling you who she’s rooting for Sunday. I also wanted to share that we launched Pack Smack, a blog about, well, the Packers. I’ll be adding my obsessive fan thoughts there. Others will give a more neutral viewpoint. (Don’t say I didn’t warn you.) We also have a new special report that we will continue to populate with content. Enjoy.

where news people get their news on news

Add comment January 10th, 2008

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every day, i read jim romenesko’s blog about what’s going on in the media industry.

so i laughed when i saw that it was mentioned in the tv show “cashmere mafia” last night (see the abc photo above). lucy liu’s character is a magazine publisher, and she was a blog item.


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