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shoe66 · 12-07-2006, 05:44 AM

I have a journalism degree but not from Medill, and I've been working in the newspaper business for a long time.

I think what you're seeing is that the technology express roared out of the station, and the newspaper business didn't even see it coming. Just observe the current mess that newspaper websites are in. What other business totally gives away their product? In truth, of course, we don't totally give away the newspaper each day, but we do little to make people understand that they're reading (in most cases) a stripped-down version of the print edition.

Why do newspapers suddenly feel that they have to be instantaneous, that they have to be "first on the web" with stories? In our rush to be first, we've taken our reporters away from the story, encouraged them not to linger and interview and find out more background on a story, and instead rush to the nearest wifi point and send us a web story. Ridiculous. Instead of prowling around city hall or the local team's batting cage, we've got reporters touching up their hair and shooting video for podcasts in some quiet corner.

If newspapers want to play the internet game, they should all dedicate staff -- lots of staff -- to produce the web product. Leave the reporting and the in-depth, trusted writing to the people who still recognize that a printed newspaper has its place (it also has the ads, which pay the bills, etc.).

I'm wondering what the shelf life of the blog revolution is going to be. Most blogs are embarrassing, beyond being shallow. Yet, it's amazing how much manpower is wasted each day by newspapers urging their reporters to "update those blogs." Zzzzzzzz.

I can understand why Medill is trying to look ahead. But it's trying to be clairvoyant as much as anything, and that's a dangerous approach. Anybody who says they know what newspapers are going to look like in 2020 is fooling people -- at $40K in tuition a year.

Thank you, Susa, for starting this brave and informative message thread.

12-07-2006, 05:44 AM	#12
shoe66 Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Threads: 9 Posts: 88	I have a journalism degree but not from Medill, and I've been working in the newspaper business for a long time. I think what you're seeing is that the technology express roared out of the station, and the newspaper business didn't even see it coming. Just observe the current mess that newspaper websites are in. What other business totally gives away their product? In truth, of course, we don't totally give away the newspaper each day, but we do little to make people understand that they're reading (in most cases) a stripped-down version of the print edition. Why do newspapers suddenly feel that they have to be instantaneous, that they have to be "first on the web" with stories? In our rush to be first, we've taken our reporters away from the story, encouraged them not to linger and interview and find out more background on a story, and instead rush to the nearest wifi point and send us a web story. Ridiculous. Instead of prowling around city hall or the local team's batting cage, we've got reporters touching up their hair and shooting video for podcasts in some quiet corner. If newspapers want to play the internet game, they should all dedicate staff -- lots of staff -- to produce the web product. Leave the reporting and the in-depth, trusted writing to the people who still recognize that a printed newspaper has its place (it also has the ads, which pay the bills, etc.). I'm wondering what the shelf life of the blog revolution is going to be. Most blogs are embarrassing, beyond being shallow. Yet, it's amazing how much manpower is wasted each day by newspapers urging their reporters to "update those blogs." Zzzzzzzz. I can understand why Medill is trying to look ahead. But it's trying to be clairvoyant as much as anything, and that's a dangerous approach. Anybody who says they know what newspapers are going to look like in 2020 is fooling people -- at $40K in tuition a year. Thank you, Susa, for starting this brave and informative message thread.