Gannett's latest brilliant idea

I don't think this will work at small shops unless it's drilled right into the skulls of individual managers.

My shop huffed and puffed about no longer being a newspaper, but a news organization. All that stuff about more online, blah blah blah. But, our managers didn't grow up with computers and Internet, so for all the posturing, the paper is still the main thing. When I finish my story, it gets thrown on a page.

Breaking news? Maybe at other papers. At my shop, the technology to build the Web site is well over five years old and is only on one computer in the building. It takes over 10 minutes to upload a new story and photo, then publish and have it show up.

We have an "online editor" that always bugs us about wanting to do more with sports, yet won't work after 5 p.m. or weekends. It would be up to us to shoot video, edit it, upload it, etc., yet who has time for that when all management wants is for us to make the print deadline? Also, there's no access to the equipment unless the online editor or IT guy is around (he's also M-F 9-5).

Do I want to better use the skills in HTML and video editing that I learned in college? Yes. I know I could do a good job if only I were at a 50K or larger paper that had the resources I know them to have. But the small-shop managers are not presenting solutions to make it work like the big boy jounralists.

Sorry for the rant.

 

The Information Center concept is a relatively good idea, but in Gannett's hands it will be a disaster. A lot more work for all involved and little real result to show for it. Those guys still think News 2000 was a good idea.

 

Crimson:

The newspaper just puts itself out after 5 p.m. and on the weekends.

Or didn't you get that memo from management?

 

It's an excellent idea, but let's face it, most Gannett papers are small, and the newsrooms are a revolving door.
Plus, this almost reads like they plan on making the print edition into nothing more than a source of ad revenue instead of information.

 

An a.m. acting like a p.m. Silly me for expecting too much from my shop.