Comments on: Dropping bombs in the newsroom http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/07/03/dropping-bombs-in-the-newsroom/ by Jeff Jarvis Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:39:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Jeff Jarvis http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/07/03/dropping-bombs-in-the-newsroom/#comment-378750 Jeff Jarvis Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:12:07 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=3711#comment-378750 I agree. I think beats are the heart of especially local but also investigative journalism. Still, we have to try lots of things and so I applaud the experimentation and willingness to do so. I agree. I think beats are the heart of especially local but also investigative journalism. Still, we have to try lots of things and so I applaud the experimentation and willingness to do so.

]]> By: Stephanie G http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/07/03/dropping-bombs-in-the-newsroom/#comment-378742 Stephanie G Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:16:45 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=3711#comment-378742 There's a problem with making reporting more fluid by breaking down the beat system. With no one working a beat like courts, cops, or community beats, you lose the important sources and relationships and expertise needed to sniff out a breaking story ahead of your competition. Or sniffing them out at all. When you have most of your staff reporting on a story at a surface level they're going to miss important nuances and they're going to be reacting to the news, rather than getting ahead of it. I'm not talking about specialized beats. I'm talking very basic beats, like schools or cops. Better idea is to continue have staff with beats, but assign them fluidly to off-beat stories as needed. It not only broadens their GA experience, but allows the paper to continue to have someone "inside" a beat, where the real stories are. There’s a problem with making reporting more fluid by breaking down the beat system. With no one working a beat like courts, cops, or community beats, you lose the important sources and relationships and expertise needed to sniff out a breaking story ahead of your competition. Or sniffing them out at all. When you have most of your staff reporting on a story at a surface level they’re going to miss important nuances and they’re going to be reacting to the news, rather than getting ahead of it. I’m not talking about specialized beats. I’m talking very basic beats, like schools or cops. Better idea is to continue have staff with beats, but assign them fluidly to off-beat stories as needed. It not only broadens their GA experience, but allows the paper to continue to have someone “inside” a beat, where the real stories are.

]]> By: A Internet e o declínio da imprensa (2) « O Insurgente http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/07/03/dropping-bombs-in-the-newsroom/#comment-378730 A Internet e o declínio da imprensa (2) « O Insurgente Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:34:37 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=3711#comment-378730 [...] A Internet e o declínio da imprensa (2) Arquivado como: Economia, Media, Teoria — Michael Seufert @ 6:33 pm Sobre A Internet e o declínio da imprensa, valerá a pena ler isto: Dropping bombs in the newsroom [...] [...] A Internet e o declínio da imprensa (2) Arquivado como: Economia, Media, Teoria — Michael Seufert @ 6:33 pm Sobre A Internet e o declínio da imprensa, valerá a pena ler isto: Dropping bombs in the newsroom [...]

]]> By: » Linky Goodness - 7/7/2008 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/07/03/dropping-bombs-in-the-newsroom/#comment-378723 » Linky Goodness - 7/7/2008 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:23:30 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=3711#comment-378723 [...] Dropping bombs in the newsroom The newspaper industry really has to reinvent itself. More on this later. [...] [...] Dropping bombs in the newsroom The newspaper industry really has to reinvent itself. More on this later. [...]

]]> By: It had to be said… « These Digital Times http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/07/03/dropping-bombs-in-the-newsroom/#comment-378676 It had to be said… « These Digital Times Sun, 06 Jul 2008 18:16:21 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=3711#comment-378676 [...] has been amazing with over 150 posts two days later (perhaps some led there by a mention in BuzzMachine). Inevitably many of the comments have come from some pretty frazzled staff of the paper. But it is [...] [...] has been amazing with over 150 posts two days later (perhaps some led there by a mention in BuzzMachine). Inevitably many of the comments have come from some pretty frazzled staff of the paper. But it is [...]

]]> By: sam http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/07/03/dropping-bombs-in-the-newsroom/#comment-378607 sam Sat, 05 Jul 2008 08:43:30 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=3711#comment-378607 I'm with Gail. The amount of attention and ink that newspapers give to trivial nonsense (like the latest twists in the Brittany saga) are criminal. I see in my own town stories big and small that go uncovered, both by the local weekly rag and the big Tribune-owned daily, that I wonder what they're thinking on the city desk. Furthermore, the paper's website is largely a waste of time...the same stories (often trivial) remain up and posted for days at a time. Furthermore the editorials and most columnists in my hometown daily are preachy and condescending. It IS possible to take strong positions that people will agree with. or not, and present them in a straight-forward way. The Wall St Journal editorials are generally written this way and I certainly don't go along with everything they espouse. Gail is right...give us the news straight forward, as accurate as possible, keep the opinions, innuendo, and weasel words out and maybe newspapers will get their credibility back. But by now, it might be too late. I’m with Gail. The amount of attention and ink that newspapers give to trivial nonsense (like the latest twists in the Brittany saga) are criminal. I see in my own town stories big and small that go uncovered, both by the local weekly rag and the big Tribune-owned daily, that I wonder what they’re thinking on the city desk. Furthermore, the paper’s website is largely a waste of time…the same stories (often trivial) remain up and posted for days at a time. Furthermore the editorials and most columnists in my hometown daily are preachy and condescending. It IS possible to take strong positions that people will agree with. or not, and present them in a straight-forward way. The Wall St Journal editorials are generally written this way and I certainly don’t go along with everything they espouse. Gail is right…give us the news straight forward, as accurate as possible, keep the opinions, innuendo, and weasel words out and maybe newspapers will get their credibility back. But by now, it might be too late.

]]> By: Made By Many » Blog Archive » links for 2008-07-03 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/07/03/dropping-bombs-in-the-newsroom/#comment-378477 Made By Many » Blog Archive » links for 2008-07-03 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 22:33:32 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=3711#comment-378477 [...] [mattski] BuzzMachine » Blog Archive » Dropping bombs in the newsroom [...] [...] [mattski] BuzzMachine » Blog Archive » Dropping bombs in the newsroom [...]

]]> By: Warren Harrison http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/07/03/dropping-bombs-in-the-newsroom/#comment-378463 Warren Harrison Thu, 03 Jul 2008 19:40:44 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=3711#comment-378463 So we don't want a starlet's underwear? The UK's best selling daily 'The Sun' specialises in this - quite a few million people do want it - if the pants (underwear in UK) are caught on video then there's your advertising business model sorted for the web. The Tampa story is great to hear in terms of direction, very similar in the UK, but lots of groups are cutting training budgets due to poor adverstising revenue- the video camera sits gathering dust. Be intersting to see the Tampa project develop. So we don’t want a starlet’s underwear? The UK’s best selling daily ‘The Sun’ specialises in this - quite a few million people do want it - if the pants (underwear in UK) are caught on video then there’s your advertising business model sorted for the web. The Tampa story is great to hear in terms of direction, very similar in the UK, but lots of groups are cutting training budgets due to poor adverstising revenue- the video camera sits gathering dust. Be intersting to see the Tampa project develop.

]]> By: Blowing Up The Tampa Trib « Black, Blue and RED all over http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/07/03/dropping-bombs-in-the-newsroom/#comment-378456 Blowing Up The Tampa Trib « Black, Blue and RED all over Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:53:09 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=3711#comment-378456 [...] Layoffs and a major reorganization are happening at The Tampa Tribune. Jeff Jarvis blogged about it at his site. An intern there recorded the newsroom announcement and comments were posted at Mindy [...] [...] Layoffs and a major reorganization are happening at The Tampa Tribune. Jeff Jarvis blogged about it at his site. An intern there recorded the newsroom announcement and comments were posted at Mindy [...]

]]> By: Blowing Up The Tampa Trib « Black, Blue and RED all over http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/07/03/dropping-bombs-in-the-newsroom/#comment-378455 Blowing Up The Tampa Trib « Black, Blue and RED all over Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:36:20 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=3711#comment-378455 [...] Layoffs and a major reorganization are happening at The Tampa Tribune. Jeff Jarvis blogged about it at his site. An intern there recorded the newsroom announcement and and comments were posted at [...] [...] Layoffs and a major reorganization are happening at The Tampa Tribune. Jeff Jarvis blogged about it at his site. An intern there recorded the newsroom announcement and and comments were posted at [...]

]]> By: Paul Evans http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/07/03/dropping-bombs-in-the-newsroom/#comment-378453 Paul Evans Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:02:04 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=3711#comment-378453 How unfortunate newspapers didn't wake up and see the future while they were still largely profitable. Even minor changes in print products often lead to significant circulation adjustments. If the new product works, over time, then the audience comes back. There is no time now, nor margin for error. Newspapers are showing up late to their own wake and asking some to change the suit on the corpse. I applaud what they are trying to do at the Tampa Trib. Their coverage concept looks pretty good. I guess we will all be watching to see if it works out. But the hard choices and the radical changes should have been happening 5 years ago. Guys like Tim Porter were talking about blowing up the newsroom an internet age ago. Where were the balls in newsrooms when they were needed? Why weren't newspapers making these tough decisions when they had the ability to choose? So now you got out of that ratty, old three-piecer and into a Hawaiian shirt and Dockers. You're still dead. How unfortunate newspapers didn’t wake up and see the future while they were still largely profitable. Even minor changes in print products often lead to significant circulation adjustments. If the new product works, over time, then the audience comes back. There is no time now, nor margin for error. Newspapers are showing up late to their own wake and asking some to change the suit on the corpse.

I applaud what they are trying to do at the Tampa Trib. Their coverage concept looks pretty good. I guess we will all be watching to see if it works out. But the hard choices and the radical changes should have been happening 5 years ago. Guys like Tim Porter were talking about blowing up the newsroom an internet age ago.

Where were the balls in newsrooms when they were needed? Why weren’t newspapers making these tough decisions when they had the ability to choose? So now you got out of that ratty, old three-piecer and into a Hawaiian shirt and Dockers. You’re still dead.

]]> By: Gail S http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/07/03/dropping-bombs-in-the-newsroom/#comment-378447 Gail S Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:47:48 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=3711#comment-378447 The press has been telling us for years that we want sensationalized murder, scandal and mayhem or we won't buy the papers. Now that we have an alternative, we are saying, "No, we want the truth, honest objective reporting. Furthermore, we want priorities in the right place, not Brittany's underwear...we don't care about that and we won't pay for it." It's as simple as that. When they start listening to their public instead of dictating to us what we should think, what we should like and who we should vote for, they will be back in business. Best regards, Gail The press has been telling us for years that we want sensationalized murder, scandal and mayhem or we won’t buy the papers. Now that we have an alternative, we are saying, “No, we want the truth, honest objective reporting. Furthermore, we want priorities in the right place, not Brittany’s underwear…we don’t care about that and we won’t pay for it.”

It’s as simple as that. When they start listening to their public instead of dictating to us what we should think, what we should like and who we should vote for, they will be back in business.

Best regards,
Gail

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