STL Social Media Guy

Getting ready for Margarita Night, for Crab House Night, for Pasta Night, for Boardwalk Night — and a lot of beach time. Also planning to read David Sedaris’ new book, “When You Are Engulfed in Flames,” and Tom Brokaw’s “Boom.” See ya later.

• An open letter to Craigslist | ReinventingClassifieds.com
  Do we really want to trust our democracy to emasculated newspaper journalism, plus TV and radio news?
  (tags: journalism craigslist newspapers future classifieds stlt)
• New York Times reporters told to keep political views under wraps
  Reporters and editors at the New York Times have been told to keep their political affiliations offline and out of sight in the build up to the US presidential election.
  (tags: newspapers nytimes politics socialmedia stlt)
• In House, Tweets Fly Over Web Plan - NYTimes.com
  Mr. Culberson was responding to a proposal by Representative Michael E. Capuano, chairman of the franking committee, that would impose new guidelines on legislators who post videos on external Web sites like YouTube.
  (tags: nytimes socialmedia stlt)
• Newsroom reorganization report, Spokesman-Review
  There are further (and more radical) ideas in the “additional suggestions” section of the report, and a few more in the “minority suggestions” section.
  (tags: newspapers business reorganization stlt)

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’m working on a colum for The American Editor about the future of editors in the news business. I’ve been working Google overtime trying to track down anything in the past few weeks that has touched on the debate — blogs or news stories.

I’d appreciate it if any readers know of something I’ve missed; please point it out in the comments.

I am particularly interested because there have been at least a couple of references to a “drumbeat” of debate over the need for copy editors, for example. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been involved in an e-mail exchange with Jeff Jarvis over the issue of the utility of editors in this day and age. I’ll post more about this before the week’s out, but I’m working on a column on that question for The American Editor, ASNE’s magazine (here’s my last column for them, by the way. Their web site is way behind, sadly).

Jeff asked me about my thoughts on his post about “newsroom economics,” in which he posits a 30 percent reduction in staff and a redeploying of resources (and fewer editors). I give him props for noting that it’s an academic exercise that has plenty of room for improvement (although he didn’t actually use those words…).

Here’s what I like about what he wrote:

- He cut national and world news coverage. Bravo. For the love of God, it’s a commodity now, isn’t it?

- He increased local beat reporting.

- He increased resources to investigative reporting. I suggest that what he didn’t say was this: Everyone has to have a role in “investigative” reporting. That’s why we have beat reporters! I suspect his 1.5 people would be folks who can facilitate and aide with that process as projects come around.

Here’s where I have some questions:

- I’d definitely put some resources into developing online databases. Those can be useful tools to beat reporters and investigations — as well as fascinating online content in its own right. (One of his commenters already said this.)

- I also concur with the idea that he’d want someone with some mad web skilz. Maybe that’s someone in the “database” group.

- I wouldn’t make a distinction between “beat” reporters and “breaking news” reporters. If he wants someone dedicated to handling breaking news (for online, I assume), then create an old-style “rewrite desk.” We have two reporters at the Post-Dispatch who work staggered shifts on the “online news desk.”

They can write stories as they break, but they also take dictation from reporters in the field, give a quick once-over to stuff that other reporters e-mail, etc. My only fear is that creating a distinction between beat reporters and breaking news reporters somehow absolves beat reporters of dealing with breaking news.

More later. But would happily hear feedback on the idea of whether the levels of editing we have in newspaper newsrooms is excessive — and, if so, who is doing a good job of redeploying staff?

• Google as the new pressroom - BuzzMachine
  Jeff Jarvis offers more ideas for phasing out the layers of editing. Amen.
  (tags: newspapers journalism media)
• Spot the difference: AFP withdraws ‘digitally altered’ missile shot
  It was too late for the print editions of the LA Times, Financial Times, Chicago Tribune and others, who ran the pic on the front page, and for the BBC, New York Times and Yahoo News websites.
  (tags: newspapers photography multimedia stlt)
• How the Google generation thinks differently - Times Online
  It’s worth remembering, after all, that it was the creative, ground-breaking minds of digital immigrants that invented the internet.
  (tags: education google digital online reading social stlt)
• ‘Wash Post’ Web Editor Expects Merged Newsrooms
  Brady declined to speculate on when a merging of the newsrooms might occur, saying only: “conversations will begin when Marcus gets here in September.
  (tags: washingtonpost newspapers integration stlt)
• Getty teams up with Yahoo to tap into Flickr users
  “Flickr members will benefit from Getty Images’ global sales and distribution teams helping to market their images and from Getty Images’ expertise and experience in rights and clearances of visual content.”
  (tags: photography multimedia flickr stlt)
• Guardian Media Group Buys paidContent for $30 Million | Kara Swisher | BoomTown | AllThingsD
  From a comment on this post: “Kudos to Rafat, Staci and team. They have stuck through it for years and built a highly credible class-act new media news site.”
  (tags: business digital media online stlt)
• Ray Marcano of Cox Ohio Publishing says ‘Don’t Worry’ About user-generated content
  User-generated content gives e-paper sites a tremendous opportunity to reconnect with its users, foster a sense of community and provide community connections in unparalleled ways.
  (tags: usergeneratedcontent stlt)

• Create a code-free Google map in 3 easy steps - graphic designr
  Man, I love these tips. Thanks, Erica.
  (tags: programming multimedia)
• Some Wisdom From Being On The Dole | Online News Squared ™
  Who knows when any of us might need this advice. One of my favorites: “Prepare a “positioning statement” that succinctly summarizes and sells you, your accomplishments, your strengths and your goals. You should be able to crisply recite it in under a
  (tags: layoffs newspaper media job)

If only this had a chance to work: A subscriber to the Raleigh News & Observer sues because the paper’s staff cuts make the paper less valuable — and breach his contract with them after he resubscribed.

In a phone interview today, Keith Hempstead, 42, said he could cancel his subscription but filed the suit to make a point.

“I wanted to get the newspaper’s attention and the news industry’s attention,” said Hempstead, who is a former reporter at the Fayetteville Observer, adding that he loves The News & Observer.

Now, is there anything Keith can do to “get the attention” of retail advertisers, classified employment advertisers, and Wall Street?

• Chicago Tribune to cut 80 newsroom positions — chicagotribune.com
  I can’t believe it’s the same Tribune Company I worked for for 13 years, when the Sun-Sentinel advertised itself as the fasted growing newspaper in Florida and daily newspapers were thicker than most Sunday newspapers today. Oh, yeah. It’s not the same Tr
  (tags: newspapers journalism)