COMP 2903A19 – Center Stage

Danny SilverJSOCS, Acadia University

Carl Sessions SteppAmerican Journalism Review, April/May, 2006

• Senior editor of American Journalism Review• Writes about changes in the news profession• Served as a writing and editing coach for

newspapers in US and Canada including:– USA TODAY, The Washington Post, and Toronto

Globe and Mail.• http://www.merrill.umd.edu/directory/carl-sessions-stepp

Newspapers v. Online News

• http://www.chron.com/• Will the standard print media be over taken

by Web media?• Online newsrooms:– What do they look like?– How do they work?– How are they effecting print news media

Newspapers v. Online News

• They are look cleaner, quieter, younger• Desks grouped into pods• Executives behind glass offices• Web journalists mostly post copy gathered by

others – called producers, news directors or editors

• Arranged by sections + studios, technical hideaways

Newspapers v. Online News

• Big vital difference:– With many people posting, speed of the essence,

no fixed schedules– Impractical to funnel all content through a copy

desk– Little or no editing, fact checking, reveiw

Two clear trends

1. Move toward merging online and print newsrooms2. News production around the clockRevolutionizing newsrooms, raising important questions:– Who will produce the copy?– Who will monitor quality?– What will be stressed in hiring?– What will this do to journalism?

News v. Columns v. Blogs

• What is the difference?

• Why do news outlets have blogs and support them?

TV News v. Web Video News

• What is the difference? - see p. 82

Online has Pros and Cons

• Pro: Most recent news is always available• Con: A lot of high pressure work

• Con: Little editing means a dumb headline is used

• Pro: Change it as soon as it is caught. Even stories are not permanent

Some reasons for hope …

• Broadcast sensibilities are filtering in• Editors are emphasizing journalism over

technical know how• The sense of “public trust” is there• Online is not an excuse for sloppiness• Some schedules sneeking in – do not wish to

confuse readers with too much of a moving target

Convergence of print, TV and Web News

• NY Times and LA Times have been at forefront• Can be complicated:– Cultural differences (talking versus emails)– Unions in print offices / none in online offices– Rate of production different (24-7 pace online)– Print versus broadcast processes vary

• Washing Post is purposely not consolidating; viewed as two different but complimentary groups

The Future ??

• P. 85 “We write for online and update for print”

• Online news allows traditional print media compete with broadcast news

• Most editors see a move to consolidated newsrooms – Single chain of command– Great journalists / writers produce copy– Air traffic controllers placing it on media