Sunday, March 18, 2007
We all know that the American media, from newspapers to radio to television, are undergoing a major transformation. It's happening right before our eyes.
What does it mean? Where will it end? What will the media future -- for consumers and for journalists -- look like?
There is no crystal ball.
As I tell our staff, that unknown makes this both an unnerving time and a wondrous time.
Imagine being present when movable type was invented. That is precisely the kind of historic, society-altering transformation that we are experiencing today with the Internet.
The question: Can those of us in the mainstream media -- a term I cherish because it signals independence, inclusion and credibility -- make that leap? Can we continue to improve our traditional product, the daily newspaper, which our readers find relevant to their daily lives, and also create new products and services for new segments of our community?
Like any change, this great transition is not without its dangers. And potential casualties. Yet it also holds the promise for stronger journalism, greater access to news and information, broader reader interaction and more accountability.
At a seminar last week at the Poynter Institute in Florida, a number of journalists gathered to talk about this amazing period. Poynter is a learning laboratory, a school of ongoing education, for journalists from newspapers, television, radio and the Web. Members of our group, the ethics fellows of 2006, were instructed to write down our thoughts about what's become Topic du Jour. Or, as I like to say, All We Think About.
One question: In this time of enormous change and turmoil, where do you find hope? My answers:
In our readers.
In journalism that matters.
In our staff.
In our shared mission.
In our struggle -- anything of value is worth fighting for and given the nature of this fight, this issue must be of great value.
Another question: As a journalist, why do you come to work each day? My answers:
To make a positive difference in the community.
It's purpose-driven work and it's my life's passion.
For the camaraderie.
I'm helping nurture the next generation of journalists.
I'm fighting the good fight -- meaning being a watchdog to government, being the eyes and ears of our readers in places where they can't go.
Another question: Given journalism's unknown future, what keeps you coming to work every day? My answers:
I want to be part of the team/the generation of journalists that solves this puzzle -- that makes the great transition before us.
I want to be part of this historic time.
Riding out a storm such as this can be an exhilarating and unique experience, provided you have a seaworthy vessel, a skillful and courageous crew and the right equipment.
At the end of this writing exercise, my classmates and I came away with a lot of inspiration. As I told my fellow fellows, the headline for my piece would be: "I'm trying to live in a place called Hope."
I say that because the future is hopeful -- for journalism, for public service reporting, for independent media, for readers and users who value credible information and objective, vetted news reports.
For proof, look no further than the landmark journalism done by The Washington Post, which uncovered the terrible conditions awaiting war-battered soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.
When people ask, "What are newspapers good for today?," the Post series provides the answer. Indeed, it prompts other questions: "Where would we be without newspapers? How many important issues would never see the light of day if a newspaper staff didn't uncover them?"
One of my Poynter classmates was Lori Aratani, a staff writer at the Post. She talked about the Walter Reed series during the seminar. "It's Reporting 101," she said. "It's what we do. It's how we can make a difference. This is the kind of thing that people come to newspapers for."
At the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, we also have a sturdy vessel for these uncertain times. We have an award-winning staff, a strong and loyal community of readers who care, a history of public service journalism and fiercely independent, family ownership. Our publishing roots in Maine go back to the 1860s. We've weathered plenty of changes.
In the months and years ahead, you'll see us setting the course. We'll test a wide array of new storytelling techniques. We'll post new and different content on our Web site, pressherald.com. We'll create more reader-generated content areas. We'll make forays into the multimedia world, using audio and video as powerful storytelling tools that will broaden our journalism.
At the same time, we will continue, each day, to improve our core product: the printed newspaper.
Through this column, I'll keep you apprised of changes on the horizon. As our readers, I look to you to suggest new areas of content -- especially on the Web -- where you think our brand of high-quality, credible journalism is needed.
Here are a few changes coming in the next few weeks in the area of blogs, which is shorthand for Web logs, or quick, first-person articles that provide interactive forums with readers.
In February, we launched the first staff-written blog on pressherald.com; it is written by environmental reporter John Richardson.
"Next week, we will launch our second staff blog," said Dan Dinsmore, our assistant managing editor for convergence. "Kevin Thomas will pen this blog and will write about his beat specialty, baseball. Kevin covers the Portland Sea Dogs and the Boston Red Sox for the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. His first blog entry will coincide with Kevin's trip to Florida for spring training.
"Our third blog will launch during the last week of March. Reporter Justin Ellis, who also is our Generation Nxt columnist, will write about topics that relate to our younger readers and his column. After the launch of these columns, it's our plan to unveil three to four more staff blogs per quarter during the remainder of 2007."
Each staff blog features a portrait of the writer and a quick bio on the Web site, said Dinsmore.
"I think that these blogs are a terrific way to bring original, high-quality writing and reporting to pressherald.com," he said. "We will provide some news, insight and originality in our blog writing. We'll also aim to keep these topics fresh and inviting.
"Blogs and bloggers are nothing new to the Web-savvy consumer. What we hope is different is the voice that our staff writers can provide through the blogging process. Our staff writers and reporters know their beats. They know the topics they're writing about, so when you read a blog by someone like John Richardson, hopefully the consumer will realize that we are producing these with the same high standards that we hold ourselves to in the print product.
"With that said, we want our staff blogs to be inviting and interactive, full of personality and ultimately very readable."
I asked Richardson for his comments: What is it like to write a blog?
He said it's a work in progress, "which is a little strange for a reporter who usually rushes to meet a deadline and then moves on to the next story. I can see how people (journalists) become addicted to their blogs and put all their time and energy into them. What we're trying to do is make the blog part of my reporting beat, without letting it to take over. If it works, the blog will help generate news stories as well as offering a new way to tell them.
"We seem to be off to a good start, and it's exciting to be trying something totally new."
In the days and weeks ahead, let us know what you think about these blogs. I cannot stress enough how vital your feedback is to us during this transition period.
Please call Dinsmore at 791-6410 or send an e-mail to ddinsmore@pressherald. com. You can also send me your thoughts to the addresses below.
As our readers, you are taking this journey with us -- which gives me a lot of hope. But we need all hands on deck. So please step forward with your suggestions and ideas.
Jeannine Guttman is editor and vice president of the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. Send e-mail to jguttman@pressherald.com or write to 390 Congress St., Portland, ME 04101.
Reader comments
Sort by: Oldest First | Newest first
I can't wait for the watchdog to start barking and bite government...maybe it will be joined by a money hound who can track the +50$m spent on the DHS computer systems; or the amount spent on the DMV computers or find out why 5 top executives of the NYork P.R. company which got the exclusive contract from the Bureau of Tourism all donated $1,000 each to the Governor's re-election campaign; or why the top staff at Dirigo make so much money............Wait a minute, who trained this watchdog anyway and don't Blue Tick Hounds carry LYME disease?
re blogging...I tend to participate on National blogs where the level of incisive inquiry and commentary exceeds that of anything the PPH has to currenly offer.
If you wit, style and savvy observations try LUCIANNE and SALON; even the Daily Kos and the old AS MAINE GOES had their moments. The KOS is now a psychotic Bush hater, and AMG has several baby sitters who micromanage discussions to the level of banality and stupifying reaction.
report abuse
When Editor Lou Ureneck left the Portland Press Herald in October 1997, the newspaper went straight down hill, with any remaining objective reporting in tow.
Madeleine Corson and Gannett Communications Inc. compromised the journalistic integrity of the Portland Press Herald by accepting money from the Maritime Overseas Corporation during the tanker Julie N oil spill.
Maritime Overseas Corporation is the owner of the tanker Julie N.
The money was paid to the New Media Development Group (NMDG).
The NMDG was part of the Gannett Communications corporate structure and to whom the present web based Portland Press Herald traces its direct lineage.
As I have previously reported in the PPH, the money involved was in “the upper range…of tens of thousands of dollars.” This is a direct quote from a PPH official at NMDG.,
The reporting during the oil spill was filtered by the Portland Press Herald editors to give the impression that the Maritime Overseas Corporation was responding to the oil spill with the public good in mind.
The MOC, in fact, was watching out for its bottom line and limiting its exposure to the legal liability involved.
Additionally the Julie N reporting as a whole was “feel good” reporting that was misleading at times and never objective and balanced.
My personal opinion is that the PPH acted as a public relations outlet for the Maritime Overseas Corp.
The Portland Press Herald cannot on one hand accept “tens of thousands of dollars” from an oil company and then expect retain the appearance of journalistic integrity.
Guttman may enjoy the marine metaphor in this article but nobody has their hand on the wheel of this ship.
She is already on the rocks.
report abuse
This article appeared on Sunday. Sunday afternoon, I published an expose on my website of an embarrassing link the Governor had made from his MySpace page. The link led to the page of one of his staffers, and featured a series of photos and commentary showing this staffer drinking to excess, making lewd gestures, and describing his substance abuse during one of the Governor's debates.
Within two hours of publishing my post, the staffer's site was locked to public view. Within 24 hours of the original PPH puff piece on the MySpace page, Governor Baldacci had removed his MySpace page from the internet altogether.
I called Ellis and let him know this had happened. He chuckled about it, but nothing appeared in his paper. Now, I would argue that the Governor having a MySpace page is barely newsworthy. But the Governor being forced to pull down his MySpace page because of a staffer's celebration of binge drinking IS news, and timely news at that. The proliferation of MySpace as a quasi-confessional to today's youth is something that should be covered, and when it ends up killing an overt PR effort by the administration, this is something Maine people should be reading about. And, there is an even broader story surrounding the staffer's apparent patronage appointment to his position. This is news, and the fact the the PPH made a specific decision to bury it leaves the public little choice but to suspect the paper of political bias, or at least of political fear.These types of editorial decisions cannot be helped by baseball blogs. There is a much deeper problem here.report abuse
Show all 9 comments
You must be a registered user of MaineToday.com to post a comment. Register or log in.