A web of connectedness

From UW-Madison student Emily Bisek:

Check out this New York Times' series One in Eight Million. This multimedia compilation of stories from interesting and unique people throughout the city is interesting in a variety of ways, but perhaps the most intriguing element is the fact that the newsroom is pursuing such a series to begin with. This human interest series serves a very different purpose than the other sections- focusing on the human elements of everyday life, its challenges and life's little accomplishments. The use of multimedia to achieve this perspective works wonderfully, allowing viewers to hear the Jim Romano's voice, Ed Grajales' sighs and Elizabeth Cousins' laughter. The comments on every story are also very uplifting, hopeful and, to a certain extent, as inspiring as the stories themselves. For example, many readers wished Freda Degannes many blessings, wishes and prayers after viewing her miracle. The humanness of One in Eight Million permeates not only the series itself, but the attached reader comments, making for a little web of connectedness rarely seen in newspapers across the country.

Not invincible

From UW-Madison student Jacob Harris:


The article reveals the troubling news that The Times Co. is threatening to shut down the long-standing Boston Globe for financial reasons. I think it is an interesting look at how the country's economic crisis has accelerated the decline of print journalism, which began long before the meltdown. This news immediately caught my attention because of the stature of the players involved here. While dailies in smaller cities have been going under for some time now, consensus has been that the New York Times would be venerable, if not invincible. By extension, we assumed anything associated with NYT would at least be able to weather the storm. That there would always be some level of demand for widely read, in-depth, high quality news coverage seemed only natural. But with advertisers pulling back left and right and newspapers clearly no longer the most desirable market for these advertisers, The Globe is suddenly vulnerable.

This has major implications for the future of the journalistic landscape. As the article mentions, shutting down The Boston Globe would leave only The Boston Herald as a daily source of news coverage in the city. I think this is a dangerous proposition for a city so large and that the questions journalists pose and the activities they unearth might become lost. There would be less accountability for elected officials and I am not sure that that "watchdog" role is easily replaceable. I also think this could potentially accelerate the death of other newspapers throughout the country. Furthermore, even if The Globe does not die, this disturbing news will have an impact on the morale of its staff and those of other papers. It is certainly hard to do one's best work when fearful of getting the pink slip on a daily basis.

Details, details

From University of Wisconsin-Madison student Royston Sim:

Check out this link to an article about raging Mexican drug war in the NY Times. Several things made this article stand out for me. First, the writing is crisp and to the point. By the third graf, Marc Lacey strikes home the main point of the article: that there is a pervasive problem within Mexico's institutions.

The article is comprehensive -- someone without any prior knowledge about the drug war would gain a clear picture of the overall situation at present, its roots and how it has evolved. Lacey aptly employs subheads to transition from point to point, and this makes the article easy to follow and digest.

There are many voices in this story, from the soldier in the streets up to President Felipe Calderon. The article also boasts ample figures that provide context and a sense of the power struggles. For example, there were "6,200 drug-related killings in 2008, up more than 100 percent from 2007, and the more than 1,100 so far in 2009." Another nice detail: someone at Mexican customs dabbing Vicks VapoRub on the nose of a drug-sniffing dog.

Hoping for survival of quality

From University of Wisconsin-Madison student Katrina Rust:

As news media struggle to stay afloat, most are being forced to shed
staff and try new approaches for engaging readers. The MinnPost is a
yearish-old nonprofit online newspaper trying to sustain itself and a
small staff of reporters on not just foundation money, but also
memberships and advertising. Joel Kramer, former editor and publisher
of the Star Tribune in Minneapolis and founder of MinnPost, shares how
he hopes MinnPost will be a successful news model in this story.

One thing that sets MinnPost apart, besides revenue sources, is the
site has stricter moderation of comments. I know people are all
excited about how online news can be interactive and a conversation,
but often people leave obnoxious comments that defeat any attempt at a
thoughtful exchange of ideas. MinnPost commenters have to give their
full names and can’t say hateful or obscene things.

While I hadn’t heard of MinnPost before, now I’m hoping for its
survival. Kramer’s perspective gives me hope that serious, quality
news outlets may survive (and I can find a job).

Changes for Motor City

From University of Wisconsin-Madison student Beth Mueller:

The Detroit Free Press is making some interesting changes in terms of print and online content this week. Basically, the paper is limiting home delivery to Thursday, Friday and Sunday, but keeping a smaller, redesigned version of the paper copy on newsstands daily. It seems like this is an attempt to compromise tightening the belt while clinging to the print model. I also find it interesting that on the page answering readers' questions, the first thing listed is contact information for staffers themselves. It seems like they're trying everything possible to assuage readers' anxiety, personally if necessary.

The other thing I think is really interesting in all this is the new e-Edition, which is basically the print version in pdf, only with a kind of neat reader. It's available only to subscribers, but here's the link to a demo.

It's kind of fun, but seems a little silly when their regular website has all the content and is updated continuously. My guess is that this is a bone to throw daily advertisers in hopes they'll stick around and middle-aged or older readers who are used to the print layout.