Kitsap Sun Editor David Nelson has an answer for my question: Can newsroom change their "web metabolism?"

I wondered in a recent blog post whether newspaper newsrooms could change their "metabolism" to what the instant, want-it-now, always-on Internet demands while still predominately operating on what I'll call a metabolism of setting deadlines and schedules and assignments based on printing cycles that at best are once every 24 hours and often just once a week (once a week sections, for example). Yes, within this printing press rhythm, newsrooms also are doing breaking news updates, and Twitter and Faceobook posts, live blogging, and sending text alerts, but often just a step or two late.

My post and Nelson's are part of the conversation around the E.W. Scripps newspapers series on changes in the media landscape. Nelson notes newspaper newsrooms have the dexterously difficult task of grabbing the future and embracing the past simultaneously. He writes:

So there's some dichotomy: The digital crowd thinks we're stale and cannot move nimbly enough to be relevant online; the print readers are worried we'll abandon them for the shiny new toy. That's a timely conundrum at the Sun, where our readership is closer to being split than ever when comparing daily print subscriptions with a growing number of daily unique visitors to kitsapsun.com.
He sees newsrooms working it out.

We've proven over the past few years we can do most things we set out to do, when given the resources and time. When, and how much, are maybe the better answers to seek.

For readers of print and online newspapers (and those who work for them), I certainly hope Nelson is right. What do you thnk?

(Photo of David Nelson from the Kitsap Sun)

E.W. Scripps is recruiting journalists for internships that start as early as October chainwide.

The internships last 24 weeks and there's even relocation money of $500.

CubReporters.org has some details. The News Sentinel, where I work, is looking for two page designers, but apply through the official site and not directly to the newspaper.

And did I say these are paid internships? They certianly are.

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The Knoxville News Sentinel ran Part 2 of the Scripps Howard News Service package on the "Future of News" today. The first installment ran Sunday. (Other E.W. Scripps newspapers ran the series or parts of the series earlier. Several, like the News Sentinel, also did local pieces to go along with it.

My contributions were Q&As with Dave Morgan and Elizabeth Spiers. I mentioned the Dave Morgan piece in a Sunday blog post. Here's one of the questions and answers from the piece with Spiers.

Q: How do traditional mainstream get digital products wrong?

A: (I gave a talk about this a couple of weeks ago, so from my notes:) They don't understand their audiences because they're not used to using data aggressively.

They view their sites as mere brand extensions and fail to treat them as stand-alone media properties.

They don't understand usability and make their sites pretty but impossible to navigate, and then naively think they'll educate their users to find their content.

They don't understand Web metabolism and produce content that's stale.

They think Web content is inherently inferior when it's merely different, and create inferior Web products as a result then wonder why they're not succeeding.

They fail to monetize their products properly, then underpay talent and wonder why they can't recruit good writers.

As someone inside a newspaper and who has worked on newspaper websites for over 15 years, much of what Spiers says resonates, particularly what she calls the "web metabolism."

Even with convenient phrases like "Web first" and "continuous news," newspapers remain all too often the final, but authoriative confirmation of the already known. That market position, the confirmer of the already known, is not likely to be a winning business model, no matter how trusted the source.

Some of that comes from just not thinking; some of it from a failure to embrace the new news environment; but often the answer from editors and reporters is they were just too busy focusing on getting out the print edition to think to get the news out on the newspaper.com website or even send a text alert.  Blame it on staffing cutbacks if you want, but newspapers typically have the largest editorial staffs covering a local geographic market.

While a "platform agnostic newsroom" (another of those buzz phrases) sounds like a transformed newsroom, the rhythm of newsroom life is still predominantly based on the 24-hour cycle of print deadlines, stubborningly resisting efforts at change.

Print certainly demands the focus. It still generates the majority of the revenue for newspapers and my guess is that most U.S. newspapers still have a larger local market audience in print than digital (although the gap is rapidly shrinking). It is also clear that the future will be digital. The argument shifted from "if" to "when" some years ago for all but the most curmudgeonly of print stalwarts.

But can newsrooms change their metabolism?

(Photo provided by Elizabeth Spiers)

The Knoxville News Sentinel ran Part 2 of the Scripps Howard News Service package on the Future of News today. The first installment ran Sunday. (Other E.W. Scripps newspapers ran the series or parts of the series earlier. Several, like... Jack D. Lail http://www.jacklail.com

E.W. Scripps newspaper editors and online managers collaborated on a "Future of News" project this summer that ran in some newspapers last weekend and is on knoxnews.com today and Tuesday.

It was a challenge put forth by Chris Doyle, the company's new vice president for content. It was part self-education and part reporting project for the group as Doyle and top managers in his division chart a course for the future. Editor Jack McElroy provides the big picture.

For part of my contributions, I decided I wanted to tap into the thoughts of a couple of smart people outside my familiar ground of newspapers. I reached out to Dave Morgan and Elizabeth Spiers. Both answered a series a questions that we are using as Q&As in the Future of News package.

The Q&A with Morgan, founder and chairman of SimulMedia, went online and in print today. The Q&A with Spiers, a media launch consultant, entrepreneur, and writer, runs Tuesday.

One the quotes I particularly liked in Morgan's answers was his advice to journalism students:

You will have a great future if you recognize that there has never been a better time to practice great journalism; that great journalists are the eyes, ears and analysts for their audiences; that great journalists listen more than they talk and write; and that great journalists can now - more than ever before - get truly close to their audiences.

No longer is the media world one of a publishers-top editor-section editor-subeditor-journalist hierarchy. Today, audiences are in charge and they want direct access to, and interaction with, journalists.

I found Spiers' comments equally insightful, but I'll wait until Tuesday to comment on those.

Some of the reaction to the series on Twitter is that it is what you might expect from a bunch of newspaper editors.

I'm glad people are taking a few minutes to read it. Here's some of the conversation:

.bbpBox{background:url(http://a3.twimg.com/profile_background_images/4329879/oslo-harbor-smaller.jpg) #fb902d;padding:20px;}

@jayrosen_nyu The latent purpose Scripps 's staff confab was as pep rally to reassure staff & readers company's derelict course is soundSun Aug 29 18:10:28 via TweetDeckVin Crosbie
vincrosbie

.bbpBox{background:url(http://a1.twimg.com/profile_background_images/48473602/mark-glaser-twitbackground.jpg) #022330;padding:20px;}

To sum up: Scripps has confab about future of news. Writes future of news series. Decides it will be future of news. Brilliant.Sun Aug 29 17:40:15 via webMark Glaser
mediatwit

.bbpBox{background:url(http://s.twimg.com/a/1282351897/images/themes/theme5/bg.gif) #352726;padding:20px;}

@jayrosen_nyu Response to Scripps ' report: Mobile's not a "trend;" technology's not a "bias;" folks don't follow news -- it finds them.Sun Aug 29 17:37:50 via TweetDeckchris martin
ctonk144

.bbpBox{background:url(http://a3.twimg.com/profile_background_images/2494027/PC-light-small.jpg) #FFFFFF;padding:20px;}

@jayrosen_nyu RE: Scripps-Howard piece. [Jaw-creaking yawn.]Sun Aug 29 17:41:02 via Tweetie for MacSteve Mays
smaysdotcom

.bbpBox{background:url(http://a3.twimg.com/profile_background_images/86862819/photo-15.jpg) #9ae4e8;padding:20px;}

.@jacklail @jayrosen_nyu I just searched & Tom Rosenstiel isn't on Twitter. Why quote someone who doesn't know what he's talking about? 2/2Sun Aug 29 17:23:11 via webSteve Buttry
stevebuttry

.bbpBox{background:url(http://a1.twimg.com/profile_background_images/2871132/nycnight3.jpg) #718ECD;padding:20px;}

@jacklail I admire the effort, but there's too much "woe is us, the center of the universe" and some dubious claims (piracy?) in that piece.Sun Aug 29 17:14:00 via webJay Rosen
jayrosen_nyu

(Photo provided by Dave Morgan)

E.W. Scripps newspaper editors and online managers collaborated on a Future of News project this summer that ran in some newspapers last weekend and is on knoxnews.com today and Tuesday.It was a challenge put forth by Chris Doyle, the companys... Jack D. Lail http://www.jacklail.com

Among the AP Stylebook changes announced Friday:

video recording Precise term for digital audio and visual recording. Digital has largely replaced videotaping.

videotape (n. and v.) Largely replaced by digital recording. The terms apply only if tape is used.

Among the AP Stylebook changes announced Friday:video recording Precise term for digital audio and visual recording. Digital has largely replaced videotaping.videotape (n. and v.) Largely replaced by digital recording. The terms apply only if tape is used.... Jack D. Lail http://www.jacklail.com

OK, Dolly Parton doesn't have anything to do with this, but we should "train, train."

Two training opportunities are coming up that might interest journalists in Tennessee (and elsewhere).

APME's NewsTrain rolls into Nashville, Sept. 23-24.

Some heavy hitters will be on hand:

* KEYNOTE SPEECH ON THURSDAY, SEPT. 23: TOM CURLEY, president and CEO of The Associated Press: "The Renewed Power of the Press"

* KEYNOTE SPEECH ON FRIDAY, SEPT. 24: JOHN SEIGENTHALER, founder of the First Amendment Center: "The First Amendment, a Cornerstone of Democracy"

See the full schedule for the workshop at the John Seigenthaler Center and register.

A bargain at just $50.

Also at the John Seigenthaler Center is a Multimedia Boot Camp for Journalism Professionals and Educators Nov. 17-21, 2010.

Put on by the  Freedom Forum Diversity Institute, "the multimedia training is tailored for journalists but open to anyone with an interest in multimedia storytelling, regardless of the individual's background. For an additional charge, successful participants can earn 3 college credits. The courses are accredited by the Media Studies Department of Belmont University, which awards the credits."

Tuition is $850. Registration is open until Oct. 31 or until the class is full..

Learn more.

OK, Dolly Parton doesnt have anything to do with this, but we should train, train.Two training opportunities are coming up that might interest journalists in Tennessee (and elsewhere).APMEs NewsTrain rolls into Nashville, Sept. 23-24.Some heavy hitters will be on... Jack D. Lail http://www.jacklail.com

A University of Kentucky gradudate student is doing an online survey on whether readers would pay to access newspaper content. Help him out by taking the survey.

A University of Kentucky gradudate student is doing an online survey on whether readers would pay to access newspaper content. Help him out by taking the survey.... Jack D. Lail http://www.jacklail.com

Knoxnews' Talid Magdy recorded one of my favorite musicians, Tim O' Brien, at a recent WDVX Blue Plate show. O'Brien has a new CD out, Chicken and Egg. This video is of him doing "Suzanna," which is on the CD.

O'Brien, who first came to my attention as a member of the Colorado-based band Hot Rize has long been one of my favs -- and for good reason!

Magdy posted a couple of other videos of O'Brien as well:

Workin'
River Ridin'

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Knoxnews Talid Magdy recorded one of my favorite musicians, Tim O Brien, at a recent WDVX Blue Plate show. OBrien has a new CD out, Chicken and Egg. This video is of him doing Suzanna, which is on the... Jack D. Lail http://www.jacklail.com

I'll be on George Korda's "State Your Case" radio show form 1-3 (eastern) today. The show is on Newstalk 98.7 FM and is streamed on the web.

From, 1-2, I'll be talking about near-record-low confidence in newspapers and television news. A recent Gallop organization poll found that those with "a great deal: or "quite a lot" of confidence in newspapers remains at a low level and the percentage dropped to a 20-year low for television news. Some solace, however, was that both rate higher than Congress. Maybe we need to distribute these with each copy?



From 2 to 3 p.m., I'm hanging around as friend and newspaper consultant Kevin Slimp talks about his recent customer experiences with Delta Air Lines. A frequent traveler to speaking engagements and workshops around the country, his summer of flying has been more about sitting in airports than flying. He started sharing his experiences on his Facebook page; and received support and war stories from many other weary airline passengers.

Should be fun. The show is on the same station, but it has a new home at 98.7. It's also streamed on the Internet.

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Ill be on George Kordas State Your Case radio show form 1-3 (eastern) today. The show is on Newstalk 98.7 FM and is streamed on the web.From, 1-2, Ill be talking about near-record-low confidence in newspapers and television news. A... Jack D. Lail http://www.jacklail.com

With nearly all news organizations struggling to keep up with the up-to-the-minute news cycle and to remain profitable in the process, Americans low trust in newspapers and television news presents a critical barrier to success. The Pew report asserts that... Jack D. Lail http://www.jacklail.com

With nearly all news organizations struggling to keep up with the up-to-the-minute news cycle and to remain profitable in the process, Americans' low trust in newspapers and television news presents a critical barrier to success. The Pew report asserts that 80% of new media links are to legacy newspapers and broadcast networks, making clear that traditional news sources remain the backbone of the media. But so long as roughly three in four Americans remain distrustful, it will be difficult to attract the large and loyal audiences necessary to boost revenues.
-- Gallop




This is the time of the year that newspapers executives around the country gather in off-site meetings to do strategic planning, often utilizing SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis. If you go to these things with any regularity, you will hear that one of the strengths of the news organization is that it is a "trusted news source." But these Gallop numbers say that hasn't been true for years for media in general.
 
Perception of political media bias doesn't appear to be a big factor in the low-level in the last couple of years, since that's remained much the same since 2003, according to Gallop.

Just another highway sign the media has to be refashioned.

(via Instapundit)


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Linda Nguyen, who graduates from the University of Tennessee at the end of the fall semester, and April Alexander, who will graduate from Hampton University in the spring, were a great pair of interns with our online editorial group this summer.

.





I wish them well and I expect them to have great success.

Linda Nguyen, who graduates from the University of Tennessee at the end of the fall semester, and April Alexander, who will graduate from Hampton University in the spring, were a great pair of interns with our online editorial group... Jack D. Lail http://www.jacklail.com