I recently reposted blog posts on linking and confidential sources from my Training Tracks blog at the American Press Institute, since those are no longer available at API’s website. That prompted me to repost more from the Training Tracks, just to have the archive available. I will select those that are most relevant to repost first. This advice, sadly, still applies today. I have not checked the links to see whether they remain active, but I think I should leave them in either way. This was originally published May 31, 2007:
The colleague’s lament is familiar:
“Our staff here has been dramatically slashed (we’re down to two news reporters on day shift). It’s quite a change for our paper, which has gained some measure of acclaim for the time, staff we devote to special projects work (which now appears to be a bygone era).
“Unfortunately, smaller staff size is the new reality. One of the things I’m preparing to pitch to upper management is a radical review of what we cover, how we cover it, etc. I know I will face resistance because, well, some people think the approach to community news coverage is a static endeavor. But honestly, with two reporters we can’t be everywhere. And if we try to be everywhere just to please people, rather than focus on what’s really needed, the entire product will suffer.
“Do you have any examples of papers facing the same situation, staff size, which adapted and prospered? Or, do you have any advice?”
Prospering doesn’t describe what is happening in the newspaper business. And adapting may not be enough. That sounds like making a change here and a tweak there. Newspapers have to transform in order to have a chance at prosperity. (more…)
The Buttry Diary 