The 11th principle
Washington Post editor Len Downie issues a set of 10 web principles and they’re good — as far as they go. They summarize:
These principles emphasize our commitment on the Web to around-the-clock breaking news, scoops and original Washington Post added-value journalism, in addition to multimedia and interactivity. They embody the same standards and values for our journalism on the Web as the printed newspaper. And they commit us to flexibility and change in newsroom structure and forms of journalism to adapt to the rhythms and opportunities of the Web.
To me, they leave out a vital 11th principle: They should be committed to working in new and collaborative ways with the people formerly known as readers. They should be recasting their relationship — and institution’s and each journalist’s relationship — with the community.
These principles still show that the paper thinks it is at the center. It’s all about how they operate as an institution. They need to break down their walls and recast their role in the world around them.
July 7th, 2007 at 8:28 am
WaPo has excellent reporters, sadly its editorial board is making like a weak imitation of WSJ. Still haven’t backed down on saying that Abramoff financed as many Dems as Republics, which is still just Not True.
July 8th, 2007 at 5:27 am
I guess the biggest challenge for the Washington Post, and any print media -any “formerly single-medium” company- is to start to put their audience at the center of their thinking rather than their product (or their newsroom for that matter). That is a paradigm-shift for “formerly single-medium” companies, and as with any paradigm-shift: it takes some time.
July 8th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
[...] Jeff Jarvis comments rightfully so that ”these principles still show that the paper thinks it is at the center. It’s all about how they operate as an institution. They need to break down their walls and recast their role in the world around them.” But the real challenge for any “formerly single-medium†company, like the Post,  is to start to put their audience at the center of their thinking rather than their product or the medium. [...]
July 8th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
[...] And, of course, Jeff Jarvis weighs in with the 11th Principal. [...]
July 10th, 2007 at 8:58 am
[...] BuzzMachine » Blog Archive » The 11th principle “These principles still show that the paper thinks it is at the center. It’s all about how they operate as an institution. They need to break down their walls and recast their role in the world around them.” (tags: internet newspapers newspapersites newsroom integration participatory journalism citizenmedia washingtonpost) [...]
July 10th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
[...] 10th 2007, 10:39 am Filed under: Washington Post, Social Software, Newspapers, Media, Internet Jeff Jarvis writes that the Washington Post, which recently posted its 10 Web Principles needs an 11’th – a [...]
October 9th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
[...] issue and seem willing to evolve to fit the changing demographics and habits of their readers. Jeff Jarvis thinks their list falls one short, but I see it as a sign of progress. The editors of the Post [...]