Scooping the News

Ex-radio producer enters world of fiction, creates Western setting, characters

2011-02-25T08:52:00.007-05:00

Kentuckian and Civil War veteran Jake Bailey planned to work peacefully in California, but instead he is thrown into all the turmoil and deceit found in the late-1800s mythical Arizona town of Wayward. Rich with historical authenticity, excellent setting description, and well-developed characters, Hilary Hartman's first novel -- A Wayward Tale: Part One -- is one that both Western fans and those who simply love a good story should consider purchasing.

If you have viewed a Western film or read a novel in that genre, then you somewhat know what to expect and Hartman does not fail to deliver the standard goods. A Wayward Tale includes bustling brothels, smoky saloons, gut wrenching gunfights, and even a blossoming romance. On top of all that, though, Hartman excels when it comes to bringing scenes to life with sometimes humorous dialogue and always thorough description. The characters are well thought out, too.

When it comes to novels in a series, A Wayward Tale fits the bill in that it leaves you hanging and wanting more at the end. Loose ends are definitely not in short supply. What's the story behind the locked desk and cabinet compartments in Bailey's office (he becomes the town's law enforcer)? What's the seemingly crooked town mayor up to, and why did he deceive Bailey? Is there a story waiting to be told with the individual in a wanted poster at Bailey's office? Also, what is to come of the seeds of love planted between Bailey and a woman named Virginia?

Hartman tentatively plans to release the second novel in this Western series later this year. Prior to writing novels, Hartman worked as a radio producer for several years in Florida. Hartman's career in radio included stints with WMEL 1300 AM and the nationally-syndicated show titled UFO Live. For more information about A Wayward Tale, click on the link provided in the first paragraph of this story and check out the Facebook page.

New York Times will add online fees in '11, end print edition eventually

2010-09-10T15:09:00.002-04:00

Several U.S. newspapers are already charging readers to access some or all of their online content, and The New York Times plans to implement a "metered paywall" in early 2011, reports Emma Heald of editorsweblog.org. Readers will get access to a specific number of free articles per month, then have to pay for additional content.

These details were announced by Times Publisher Arthur Sulzberger on Wednesday at an international summit in London. Sulzberger also confirmed that the newspaper will end its print edition at some point in the future. To read an interesting commentary from Business Insider on that announcement, click here.

Also, if you have not taken this quick, anonymous survey about whether you would pay for news content online, then please click here.

Journalism students are tomorrow's lawyers

2010-09-09T14:19:00.003-04:00

Note: This is the fourth edition in a 38-week series about important lessons I've learned about journalism/new media. To read previous editions in the series, click here. Also, to take a quick, anonymous survey about whether you would pay to read news online, click here. Please share that survey link on Facebook and Twitter.

A quick survey of my students several semesters ago revealed an interesting fact about the undergrads' career interests. Out of the 15 students, two were interested in print journalism, seven were interested in broadcast journalism, three were interested in marketing and/or public relations, and three were interested in law. Since then, about one-fifth of the students in my journalism classes every semester have expressed an interest in attending law school.

I suspect the trends in my classrooms are not isolated to one particular university, but are in fact present at many universities across the United States that house journalism schools. Simply put, a journalism degree is becoming one of the more popular pre-law undergraduate pursuits in the country. The similarities between the two fields are obvious, so it is no wonder that tomorrow's lawyers are first choosing to build key skills in journalism classrooms.

In the journalism classes I teach, my students are taught how to conduct interviews, how to document individuals' statements, how to write using correct grammar and punctuation, how to build arguments that incorporate both facts and opinions from others, how to conduct research using scholarly publications and online sites, and how to investigate a story from its early stages all the way to its conclusion. Those same skills are used in a courtroom.

This past summer, I served on two juries in cases that lasted several days. One took place in civil court and the other in criminal court. On the first day of each case, we were all handed a notepad, which was about the same size as the one I used for three years as a full-time newspaper reporter nearly a decade ago. During the course of the two separate trials, I found myself taking lengthy notes just as I did during my reporter days.

As my month of jury duty progressed, I noticed the lawyers often taking just as many notes, if not more, than I did. I observed them as they questioned witnesses, often referring to statements made previously in the trial and exploring different angles of the case that I hadn't even thought about. Much like how journalism students are instructed to do their background research before an interview, the lawyers knew what was coming before witnesses even spoke.

As journalism changes due to new technology and shifting consumer demands, the importance of journalism schools continues to grow. Journalism schools are seeing an enrollment boost, and more and more students are choosing to apply skills learned in the classroom to careers that have nothing to do with traditional media outlets. Journalism educators should be proud of the fact that they are training individuals who will go on to participate in our justice system.

Newspapers reluctant to get readers' opinions about online access fees

2010-08-28T09:20:00.004-04:00

Note: This is the second edition in a 38-week series about important lessons I've learned about journalism/new media. To read the first edition, click here.

As part of my doctoral dissertation in mass communication, I'm surveying online newspaper readers about their willingness to pay access fees for stories and other content on the Web. In just one week of collecting data, I've received responses from nearly 300 readers across the United States. The biggest challenge has been distributing the link to the online survey.

I entered this process with an electronic address book full of industry contacts, both in journalism schools and at newspapers across the country. I thought for sure that the best way to distribute the survey would be via online newspapers. What better way to reach readers than through the product they're consuming.

I started contacting industry insiders, and I soon realized a harsh reality. Most newspapers wanted nothing to do with a reader survey. Dozens of e-mails went unreturned. One reporter friend promised to speak with his editor, warning me that I "know how the business is" and that he couldn't promise anything. I never heard back from him.

Two industry contacts did come through, one at a major metro daily in Tennessee and one at a college newspaper in Kentucky. Their help has boosted my survey response rate tremendously. Also, the power of Facebook and Twitter became even more apparent during this process, as my family and friends shared the survey link with thousands of readers.

While many newspapers simply chose to ignore my request for a short, simple posting of the link on their Web site, one metro daily publisher took the time to explain why he wouldn't help. Even with the appropriate research disclaimers, this publisher said his readers might take it as a sign that the paper was considering such fees.

That same high-level newspaper man further informed me that publications would want to conduct such surveys on their own, so that they can manage the data in a way that best suits their interests. It sounds like this particular publisher would want to make sure the data helped support his decision.

No matter their reasons for ignoring my requests or denying them, it's clear that most newspapers are reluctant to get their readers' opinions. That's sad considering newspapers are depending on their readers to save them since online advertising didn't pan out. Maybe if you're going to depend on readers for revenue, you should give them a voice in the discussion.

If you're a newspaper, journalist, reader or simply concerned about the future of newspapers or online news in general, please take part in this short, anonymous survey and pass along the link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/newspapers.

Will readers pay online news access fees?

2010-08-20T20:20:00.005-04:00

Although "the future of newspapers" is no longer being discussed in Congress or gracing the cover of Time magazine, the state of the nation's oldest print industry is still an important subject. The question of just how the industry will regain some of the revenue it once enjoyed prior to the Internet remains largely unanswered.

As the fourth quarter of 2010 approaches, many newspapers are still fine tuning their plans to implement online access fee models. Are these same newspapers and their parent companies taking reader input into account, as they craft plans ranging from monthly subscriptions to pay-per-article systems? Who knows?

This online survey, which takes 5-10 minutes to complete, wants to know just how willing online newspaper readers are to pay to read newspaper stories on the Web. Your input will provide data that will shed light on the various ways readers may react to newspapers rolling out such plans.

Is self-policing the best way to manage online comments now and in the future?

2009-12-09T10:11:00.009-05:00

Written by Beth A. Maynard

Submitted by Georgiana Vines

Knoxville, Tenn. -- For more than two years, Knoxville has heard graphic details of the carjacking, rape and brutal murder of Channon Christian and Christopher Newman. On Dec. 1, the third of four defendants went on trial and once again hundreds people have been following the stories, photos, Tweets and online comments over the course of the proceedings. Through the trials, a captivated citizenry has found a voice for their opinions about every step of the judicial process through posting comments on websites.

When comments about the first murder trial took a racial and defamatory tone, the Knoxville News-Sentinel began to monitor the posts more closely. This is a situation that news organizations across the country face. Each must determine what constraints they are willing to place on comments. There is a delicate balance to strike between protecting the community and allowing freedom of speech.

Of course, there is no easy answer as each organization operates differently depending upon the audience and community standards and values. However, all media outlets that permit comments must develop a set of guidelines to maintain integrity of outlet and the user.

To start, self-policing may be the easiest and least bias way to manage online content. During a recent Webinar for Poynter's News University, Jack Lail, news director of innovation for the Knoxville News Sentinel, said that involving users to moderate the online discussions helps keep posters in line.

Lail said that the paper decided to allow users to help manage the conversation so there is a level of accountability amongst the users.

"We need users who are commenting as well as those who aren't to help us keep the conversation healthy," Lail said.

To promote this productive environment, the News Sentinel provides a mechanism for other users to recommend that a comment be removed or a user to even be banned because of continued defamatory comments.

Lail also said that there are times when users will correct misinformation posted by others, thereby self managing the comments. Giving time for this to take place allows for the users to feel that the newspaper staff isn't meddling.

At the same time though, the paper established a strategic understanding with its users so both sides know what to expect. Last May, the News Sentinel held a forum with community leaders and bloggers to open the conversation about how to best manage comments.

To begin to put some fences around comments, the News Sentinel uses technology like profanity filters. Lail said most editors are assigned to monitor comments and reporters utilize RSS feeds to keep watch on the comments regarding stories they wrote.

"Everyone in the newsroom is a multimedia journalist now," Lail said. "Today, instead of writing obituaries, new journalists may be given the task of monitoring online comments and responding to posters' questions."

Training is a major part of making sure that the editors and reporters know how to monitor and respond to comments.

"Comment management has fallen to newsrooms," Lail said. "And, we're still learning how best to do that."

As the more readers find an outlet for expresses their views, it will continue to change the make up of newsrooms in markets across the country.

In Chattanooga, the Times Free Press sees the comments as part of the community discussion and an extension of the newspaper's brand. Tom Griscom, executive editor and publisher, said managing online comments is more about protecting the organization and the organization's brand.

"When people visit our site, they have certain expectations for the quality of information on the site," said Griscom. "We monitor comments to ensure that the community expectations are met while allowing for dissenting opinions."

How does that management happen? Different organizations take very different stances on how best to allow free comment, but protect the community and media company.

Some newspapers have decided to only open particular articles for comment while closing other articles that cover more controversial topics such as sexual orientation, religion or crime. However, other papers, such as the News Sentinel open all articles for comment regardless of the topic.

"We simply go by the First Amendment and allow free speech as long as it does not contain profanity, racism or other derogatory remarks," Lail said.

Griscom sees it a little differently and is looking for a way to allow for the comments, but have some level of accountability to avoid the "trolls," more commonly knows as the trouble makers, who stir up controversy.

"We have considered setting up a separate site just for comments," Griscom said. "The bloggers will criticize us, but we have certain standards."

From the blogger's perspective, the community connection can enhance a story and promote online conversations that connect individuals.

Randy Neal, who began blogging in 2002 and operates the blogs Knoxviews.com and Tennviews.com, said he started his blogs when he saw a need for an alternate perspective because of what he perceived as newspaper bias.

Neal has established himself as a respected blogger who attended the 2008 Democratic National Convention with full media credentials.

He states there are characteristics of blogs such as transparency, currency, permanency and community that newspapers adopted when online comments started.

Now newspapers have their own specialized blogs that provide a way to cover stories that do not necessitate a reporter or space in the print edition.

He sees that users and media organizations can work together to improve delivery of information.

"There are times when a story can be corrected or improved by bloggers," Neal said.

He thinks the relationship makes both the traditional journalist and the citizen journalist better. However, he agrees that the news organizations must have standards

"I agree that a newspaper should protect its brand, but there is no good answer on how to do that right now," Neal said. "Strategies for how to manage online comments will continue to evolve as the technology and forum change."

For now, news organizations like the Knoxville News Sentinel and Chattanooga Free Press will have to find their way through the process. They are making progress, but the reality is that they are attempting to manage a people, the majority of whom have no journalism training or reason to adhere to a code of ethics.

"Some of the comments we remove are scary," Lail said. "It really makes you wonder how far we've really come."

As the Knoxville community made its way through the third of four trials for the Christian - Newsome trial, the management of comments will rest in the News Sentinel newsroom and will surely bring with it new perspectives and decisions to be made.

10 most influential journalists on Twitter

2009-09-18T11:11:00.003-04:00

Each week, we rank the top 10 most influential journalists on Twitter. This is not a list of the most active or the most followed journalists. This is a list of the most influential ones. While our rankings take into account a journalist's total number of followers (25 percent of ranking) and total number of tweets (25 percent of ranking), the most important factor is the daily average of the number of times a journalist's tweets have been re-tweeted by other Twitter users (50 percent of ranking).

Top 10 Most Influential Journalists on Twitter for the week of 9/18/09
Data Collected and Analyzed by Scooping the News 9/16/09 - 9/18/09

1. Ana Marie Cox (broadcast journalist with Air America radio)
Last Week: 1, Peak: 1, Weeks on Chart: 6
re-tweet 24-hour average: 50

2. George Stephanopoulos (broadcast journalist with ABC)
Last Week: 2, Peak: 1, Weeks on Chart: 6
re-tweet 24-hour average: 15

3. David Pogue (print journalist with The New York Times)
Last Week: 4, Peak: 3, Weeks on Chart: 4
re-tweet 24-hour average: 133

4. Larry King (broadcast journalist with CNN)
Last Week: 5, Peak: 1, Weeks on Chart: 5
re-tweet 24-hour average: 31

5. John Dickerson (broadcast journalist with CBS)
Last Week: -, Peak: 5, Weeks on Chart: 5
re-tweet 24-hour average: 10

6. Terry Moran (broadcast journalist with ABC)
Last Week: -, Peak: 6, Weeks on Chart: 1
re-tweet 24-hour average: 5

7. Bill Simmons (electronic journalist with ESPN)
Last Week: 3, Peak: 2, Weeks on Chart: 5
re-tweet 24-hour average: 52

8. Michael Ausiello (print journalist with Entertainment Weekly)
Last Week: -, Peak: 8, Weeks on Chart: 1
re-tweet 24-hour average: 54

9. Nicholas Kristof (print journalist with The New York Times)
Last Week: 9, Peak: 8, Weeks on Chart: 4
re-tweet 24-hour average: 93

10. Jack Gray (broadcast journalist with CNN)
Last Week: 6, Peak: 6, Weeks on Chart: 6
re-tweet 24-hour average: 15

__________________________________________________

If you're not already doing so, make sure you follow Scooping the News on Twitter for all your newspaper industry news and links.

Top five journalism professor job openings

2009-09-14T18:59:00.002-04:00

Editor's Note: Every week, we highlight what we consider the top five new journalism professor job openings posted during the week across the United States. Several news reports have documented the increase in the number of U.S. college students majoring in journalism this year, and there are plenty of professor openings announced every week at journalism schools.

1. The Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Fla., seeks an assistant professor in multiplatform journalism. The job listing states, "Candidates would be expected to teach and develop courses in this specialization, and contribute to teaching scientific and technical communication to non-communication majors. Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in Journalism or Mass Communication. Advanced ABD's will be considered."

2. The University of Utah seeks an assistant professor of new media (tenure-track position). The job listing states, "Specifically, strong candidates will have teaching and research expertise at the intersection of new media and one or more of the following areas: strategic communication, convergence journalism, environmental communication, health communication, and/or organizational communication."

3. The University of North Florida in Jacksonville seeks an assistant professor in electronic media. The job listing states, "Teach and develop courses in electronic journalism (news and sports) for traditional and online/interactive/mobile media dissemination to audiences. The successful applicant will also have the expertise needed to teach courses in at least two of the following areas: video/multimedia production, media law and ethics, and electronic media programming and management, mass communications research, media theories and effects."

4. The University of Texas at Tyler seeks an assistant professor in journalism (tenure-track position). The job listing states, "The successful candidate will be qualified to teach courses in the news editorial sequence as assigned. Experience in the writing field and in other mass media industries such as broadcasting, new media technologies or photography a plus. The candidate should demonstrate the ability to establish and maintain a record of research, teach undergraduate and graduate courses, and advise students."

5. Lehman College of the City University of New York seeks an associate professor in new media (tenure-track position). The job listing states, "The successful candidate will teach multimedia journalism (reporting, writing, and producing across media platforms); will demonstrate experience at the cutting edge of interdisciplinary developments in the field of new media and multimedia studies; and will coach students in the use of print and electronic software that will alow them to merge communication fields to convey effective messages."

10 most influential journalists on Twitter

2009-09-11T14:05:00.002-04:00

Each week, we rank the top 10 most influential journalists on Twitter. This is not a list of the most active or the most followed journalists. This is a list of the most influential ones. While our rankings take into account a journalist's total number of followers (25 percent of ranking) and total number of tweets (25 percent of ranking), the most important factor is the daily average of the number of times a journalist's tweets have been re-tweeted by other Twitter users (50 percent of ranking).

Top 10 Most Influential Journalists on Twitter for the week of 9/11/09
Data Collected and Analyzed by Scooping the News 9/9/09 - 9/11/09

1. Ana Marie Cox (broadcast journalist with Air America radio)
Last Week: 3, Peak: 1, Weeks on Chart: 5
re-tweet 24-hour average: 164, re-tweet 24-hour high: 265

2. George Stephanopoulos (broadcast journalist with ABC)
Last Week: 1, Peak: 1, Weeks on Chart: 5
re-tweet 24-hour average: 70, re-tweet 24-hour high: 87

3. Bill Simmons (electronic journalist with ESPN)
Last Week: 7, Peak: 2, Weeks on Chart: 4
re-tweet 24-hour average: 195, re-tweet 24-hour high: 415

4. David Pogue (print journalist with The New York Times)
Last Week: 4, Peak: 4, Weeks on Chart: 3
re-tweet 24-hour average: 119, re-tweet 24-hour high: 171

5. Larry King (broadcast journalist with CNN)
Last Week: 2, Peak: 1, Weeks on Chart: 4
re-tweet 24-hour average: 57, re-tweet 24-hour high: 65

6. Jack Gray (broadcast journalist with CNN)
Last Week: 10, Peak: 6, Weeks on Chart: 5
re-tweet 24-hour average: 31, re-tweet 24-hour high: 57

7. Ann Curry (broadcast journalist with NBC)
Last Week: 6, Peak: 1, Weeks on Chart: 3
re-tweet 24-hour average: 151, re-tweet 24-hour high: 265

8. Anderson Cooper (broadcast journalist with CNN)
Last Week: 9, Peak: 7, Weeks on Chart: 4
re-tweet 24-hour average: 79, re-tweet 24-hour high: 142

9. Nicholas Kristof (print journalist with The New York Times)
Last Week: 8, Peak: 8, Weeks on Chart: 3
re-tweet 24-hour average: 28, re-tweet 24-hour high: 65

10. Greg Mitchell (print journalist with Editor & Publisher)
Last Week: -, Peak: 6, Weeks on Chart: 2
re-tweet 24-hour average: 141, re-tweet 24-hour high: 309

__________________________________________________

If you're not already doing so, make sure you follow Scooping the News on Twitter for all your newspaper industry news and links.

Top five journalism professor job openings

2009-09-08T17:06:00.003-04:00

Editor's Note: Every week, we highlight what we consider the top five new journalism professor job openings posted during the week across the United States. Several news reports have documented the increase in the number of U.S. college students majoring in journalism this year, and there are plenty of professor openings announced every week at journalism schools.

1. Butler University in Indiana seeks an assistant professor in journalism (tenure-track position). The job listing states, "The successful candidate should have competencies in one or more of the following areas: converged journalism, visual communication, media management and data-based and investigative reporting. The candidate will teach some combination of the following courses: introduction to mass communication, mass media ethics, media management, computer-assisted writing and reporting, photojournalism, multimedia editing and design, public affairs reporting, substantive courses in news editorial and special topics courses such as science and environmental reporting, business and economics reporting, magazine writing and design, information graphics. The candidate will advise the student media. A Ph.D. is required."

2. James Madison University in Virginia seeks an assistant professor in converged media (tenure-track position). The job listing states, "We seek a student-oriented colleague with a strong professional background in Web and interactive production who is committed to producing compelling stories in a converged-media environment. This position will contribute to all levels of our Converged Media curriculum including at least one of our foundation areas (Web, print design, video, and audio production). The ability to teach professional software, including Adobe Creative Suite 4 is required."

3. Western Carolina University seeks an assistant professor in journalism (tenure-track position). The job listing states, "Responsibilities include teaching undergraduate courses in writing for the media using new technologies, development of a Web-based news product, advising students, supervising student internships, engaging in scholarship, and serving on committees. Qualifications: Desired qualifications include a Ph.D. degree in communication or journalism or ABD within a year of hire and 3 years' professional communication/journalism experience."

4. Bradley University in Illinois seeks an assistant professor in journalism (tenure-track position). The job listing states, "The Department of Communication seeks a dynamic and creative professor to join a highly productive team of interdisciplinary colleagues to develop a world-class program in journalism. The ideal candidate will embrace a global perspective, cultural diversity, and an understanding of the new digital age of convergence journalism. The ideal candidate will be one that reaches across academic disciplines and institutions to collaborate with colleagues in other departments, universities, and corporate entities."

5. West Texas A&M University seeks an assistant professor in broadcast journalism (tenure-track position). The job listing states, "The successful candidate should have an established record of teaching at the undergraduate level, expertise in teaching a variety of communication courses such as introduction to mass communication, news reporting and editing, media writing, media history, and multi-platform publishing; the ability to conduct disciplinary research, advise student publications, advise and recruit undergraduate students, serve as a member of Master’s thesis committees, engage in university committee assignments, implement new media strategies in course development, particularly that of media convergence, and assist with the evaluation of student learning."

10 most influential journalists on Twitter

2009-09-04T09:50:00.003-04:00

Each week, we rank the top 10 most influential journalists on Twitter. This is not a list of the most active or the most followed journalists. This is a list of the most influential ones. While our rankings take into account a journalist's total number of followers (25 percent of ranking) and total number of tweets (25 percent of ranking), the most important factor is the daily average of the number of times a journalist's tweets have been re-tweeted by other Twitter users (50 percent of ranking).

Top 10 Most Influential Journalists on Twitter for the week of 9/4/09
Data Collected and Analyzed 8/31/09 - 9/4/09

1. George Stephanopoulos (broadcast journalist with ABC)
Last Week: 3, Peak: 1, Weeks on Chart: 4
re-tweet 24-hour average: 59, re-tweet 24-hour high: 94

2. Larry King (broadcast journalist with CNN)
Last Week: 1, Peak: 1, Weeks on Chart: 3
re-tweet 24-hour average: 76, re-tweet 24-hour high: 93

3. Ana Marie Cox (broadcast journalist with Air America radio)
Last Week: 4, Peak: 3, Weeks on Chart: 4
re-tweet 24-hour average: 56, re-tweet 24-hour high: 76

4. David Pogue (print journalist with The New York Times)
Last Week: 8, Peak: 4, Weeks on Chart: 2
re-tweet 24-hour average: 109, re-tweet 24-hour high: 206

5. John Dickerson (electronic journalist with Slate)
Last Week: 6, Peak: 5, Weeks on Chart: 4
re-tweet 24-hour average: 27, re-tweet 24-hour high: 35

6. Ann Curry (broadcast journalist with NBC)
Last Week: -, Peak: 1, Weeks on Chart: 2
re-tweet 24-hour average: 151, re-tweet 24-hour high: 265

7. Bill Simmons (electronic journalist with ESPN)
Last Week: 2, Peak: 2, Weeks on Chart: 3
re-tweet 24-hour average: 109, re-tweet 24-hour high: 204

8. Nicholas Kristof (print journalist with The New York Times)
Last Week: -, Peak: 8, Weeks on Chart: 2
re-tweet 24-hour average: 78, re-tweet 24-hour high: 123

9. Anderson Cooper (broadcast journalist with CNN)
Last Week: -, Peak: 7, Weeks on Chart: 3
re-tweet 24-hour average: 101, re-tweet 24-hour high: 152

10. Jack Gray (broadcast journalist with CNN)
Last Week: 9, Peak: 8, Weeks on Chart: 4
re-tweet 24-hour average: 17, re-tweet 24-hour high: 28

________________________________________

If you're not already doing so, make sure you follow Scooping the News on Twitter for daily blog updates, journalism news and links to stories across the Web.

This week's top five new journalism professor job openings in the U.S.

2009-08-29T22:19:00.005-04:00

Editor's Note: Every week, we highlight what we consider the top five new journalism professor job openings posted during the week across the United States. Several news reports have documented the increase in the number of U.S. college students majoring in journalism this year, and there are plenty of professor openings announced every week at journalism schools.

1. Sam Houston State University in Texas seeks an assistant professor in journalism (tenure-track position). The job listing states, "The MCM Department seeks to hire two dynamic teacher-scholars who have research and teaching interests in digital media, online journalism, social media, and other topics related to digital production (reception, policy, technology, aesthetics, interactivity, and storytelling, among others). We are particularly interested in individuals who can develop undergraduate courses in multi-media and cross-platform production and take a leadership role in graduate teaching and advising."

2. Georgia Southern University seeks an assistant professor in journalism. The job listing states, "Reporting to the Department Chair, the Assistant Professor of Journalism will teach basic and advanced courses in reporting/writing, journalistic practice and ethics, along with media and society and media theory. Also expected are contributions to scholarship, and student advising. The position is a 9-month appointment, and the salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience."

3. American University in Washington, D.C., seeks an assistant professor in journalism (tenure-track position). The job listing states, "The nationally accredited Journalism program of The School of Communication at American University, Washington, D.C., is seeking an experienced journalist with a strong record/expertise in health, science, and/or environmental journalism for a tenure-track position beginning in August 2010. The successful applicant could have additional business, government, and/or public policy expertise."

4. Oklahoma State University seeks an assistant professor in journalism (tenure-track position). The job listing states, "The applicant should be able to teach a wide spectrum of courses in the school, including strategic writing, advertising, public relations, strategic communication campaigns and research at both the bachelor's and master's levels. Knowledge of and experience with the new media environment and global outreach is a plus."

5. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill seeks an assistant professor in public relations journalism (tenure-track position). The job listing states, "Professional experience in public relations and interests in (1) social media/impact of new technology on the profession, (2) health communication, and/or (3) international public relations are a plus."

10 most influential journalists on Twitter

2009-08-28T09:12:00.002-04:00

Each week, we rank the top 10 most influential journalists on Twitter. This is not a list of the most active or the most followed journalists. This is a list of the most influential ones. While our rankings take into account a journalist's total number of followers and total number of tweets, the most important factor is the daily average of the number of times a journalist's tweets have been re-tweeted by other Twitter users.

Top 10 Most Influential Journalists on Twitter for the week of 8/28/09

1. Larry King (broadcast journalist with CNN)
Last Week: 1, Peak: 1, Weeks on Chart: 2

2. Bill Simmons (electronic journalist with ESPN)
Last Week: 9, Peak: 2, Weeks on Chart: 2

3. George Stephanopoulos (broadcast journalist with ABC)
Last Week: 3, Peak: 2, Weeks on Chart: 3

4. Ana Marie Cox (broadcast journalist with Air America radio)
Last Week: 4, Peak: 3, Weeks on Chart: 3

5. Rachel Maddow (broadcast journalist with MSNBC)
Last Week: 2, Peak: 2, Weeks on Chart: 2

6. John Dickerson (electronic journalist with Slate)
Last Week: 6, Peak: 5, Weeks on Chart: 3

7. David Gregory (broadcast journalist with NBC)
Last Week: 5, Peak: 4, Weeks on Chart: 3

8. David Pogue (print journalist with The New York Times)
Last Week: -, Peak: 8, Weeks on Chart: 1

9. Jack Gray (broadcast journalist with CNN)
Last Week: 10, Peak: 8, Weeks on Chart: 3

10. Scott Simon (broadcast journalist with National Public Radio)
Last Week: 8, Peak: 7, Weeks on Chart: 3

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If you're not already doing so, make sure you follow Scooping the News on Twitter for daily blog updates, journalism news and links to stories across the Web.

10 online tools for journalists starting blogs

2009-08-27T09:05:00.004-04:00

Editor's Note: Scooping the News began as a blog in January of this year, and we posted our first tweet Feb. 17. In the last six months, we've gained more than 900 followers on Twitter and watched our blog traffic double every month. Less than two weeks ago, more than 1,300 absolute unique visitors came to this site in just one day. If you're starting a blog, here are 10 online tools for you that we consider essential.

1. Google Analytics -- If you're going to start a blog, then you'll want to know if anyone is reading your work. Reader comments are not a good way to measure Web traffic. Google Analytics provides a wealth of data about the number of absolute unique visitors, page views, the amount of time people spend on your site, the browser used by visitors, how visitors found your site and the countries where your readers are located. Data is available for you every day and charts are provided for you to track readership across the days, weeks, months and years.

2. Twitter -- If you're trying to boost your readership, then Twitter is your No. 1 online tool. Never before has it been so easy to market and promote a product. By establishing a Twitter account and tweeting on a daily basis, you will become part of an online community and drum up interest in your own work. You can use Twitter to promote your latest blog post, complete with a link, and you can discuss your interests and opinions with others. There is a fine line, though, between tweeting enough to make people aware of your latest post and over-tweeting a blog post. Do not tweet nine or 10 times about the same blog post in one day. At most, tweet about the same post two or three times at different parts of the day.

3. bit.ly -- In the Twitter age, it's all about writing in a concise manner. You thought working for a newspaper or magazine required you to write tight. Well, when it comes to Twitter, you're going to get a new definition of what writing tight means (140 characters or less). So, imagine trying to cram one of these long hyperlinks into a short message. Well, bit.ly makes things easier by reducing those horribly long hyperlinks to 12 characters. Even better, bit.ly allows you to track how many times your shortened link is clicked and you get data on what countries the people are from that clicked on the link. Since Google Analytics data isn't available until the next day, you get an early look at your blog's traffic.

4. Save the Media -- A 20-year veteran newspaper journalist runs this blog that is an outstanding resource for anyone starting a blog. Gina Chen is always dishing out essential advice for bloggers on everything from what to include on your blog to how to promote your work. Do yourself a favor and read through her various tips. Even if you don't follow all her tips, you will certainly find a few that will make your blogging experience more enjoyable.

5. Google -- There isn't much to say about this super search engine that you don't already know. In addition to allowing you to search the Web for any topic you can imagine, what's nice about Google is that you can also conduct searches of blogs only. It never hurts to read other blogs. You may get an idea for a post, or you may just find someone new to read.

6. WeFollow -- If you're looking to establish an online presence, then you must become a part of this Web directory today. Yes, you need a Twitter account to register with WeFollow. When you become part of this directory, you can choose different categories (newspapers, journalism, etc.) that you want to be listed under. Choose categories that fit the theme of your blog. That way people interested in those subjects will find you.

7. Muck Rack -- Like many sites on this list, Muck Rack hasn't been around for long. Also, like many sites on this list, Muck Rack is quickly becoming a popular online community. This is a site for journalists who Twitter, and this site will open your eyes to what topics journalists are discussing and just how many of them are now blogging. It provides links to stories and shows which journalists are tweeting the most every day. Muck Rack is a fantastic site for finding journalist to follow on Twitter.

8. Amazon Kindle Publishing -- As more e-readers hit the market, it's absolutely necessary that your blog be available for those wishing to subscribe via their Kindle. Is there a big chunk of money to be made from making your blog available on the Kindle? No. Will at least one person out there take advantage of being to get your blog on their Kindle? I hope so. The bottom line is there is nothing to lose by making your blog available and there is everything to gain.

9. Wikipedia -- Much like Google, there isn't much left to say about Wikipedia that you don't already know. While information on this site might not always be 100 percent accurate, you can still use this online encyclopedia as a starting point for a more extensive Web search. If you're trying to find information about a topic for your blog, this is an excellent place to start. Once you've tracked down some information here, attempt to confirm the information and add to it by visiting other sites on the Web.

10. Mashable -- If you're starting a blog with very little knowledge about this innovative world of social media, then Mashable is a great resource tool that will educate you on how to navigate this electronic environment and all its various tools.

Also, if you're not doing so already, follow Scooping the News on Twitter.

Five realities in the digital journalism era

2009-08-25T13:50:00.009-04:00

Editor's Note: The statements below will be explored and described extensively in the upcoming book, tentatively titled Scooping the News: Rethinking the newsroom in the digital journalism era, slated for publication in early 2011.

1. The death of print newspapers as a primary news source for the majority of consumers took place in 1989. Print newspapers will always exist somewhere, but the Internet officially became a big news source in 1989. Why 1989? That is the year that Internet service first became available to the general public all across the United States, and many people took advantage of the new technology immediately. By 1992, I was using Prodigy. Remember that ISP? While early connections might have been slow and we didn't have a ton of fancy search engines, we did gain a news source with unlimited potential.

2. Traditional news media outlets such as newspapers, magazines, radio and television must embrace social media or risk becoming yesterday's news. The list of major news stories that broke first on Twitter is growing every day. Remember "The Miracle on the Hudson" and how the first news of it popped up on Twitter? Within minutes a Twitter user was being interviewed live on television by a major cable news network. Not only is social media a great way to distribute news, but it's the best way to connect with readers.

3. A large percentage of editors and publishers working in today's news industry lack the sense of urgency they should have in this changing media landscape. Why are some newspapers and magazine still lacking a real presence on Twitter? A real presence requires more than just establishing a Twitter account and posting the latest headlines with links. A real presence requires that editors and publishers actually engage in conversation with readers and participate in the discussion of the news items generating the most buzz among your most important clients -- the readers.

4. Print media are becoming less and less relevant, and there is no one solution that will save all the newspapers and magazines. This is a scary reality for many journalists employed by traditional print media outlets, but it's also a reality that they must acknowledge in order to preserve their careers. If you're working for a newspaper or magazine where layoffs, pay cuts and unpaid vacations are becoming the norm, then you might need to explore other options in the new media landscape. There are plenty of online news sources experiencing success. Do your research and find them. Until you land a new job, start a blog, tweet your ideas and create your new identity in journalism.

5. News consumers are now taking the place of news providers thanks to all the opportunities provided by Twitter, Facebook and whatever the next big social media network will be called. We all can have a voice in the distribution and discussion of news, and 140-characters-or-less messages are having just as big an impact as banner headlines above the fold once had. Ever notice those messages that get re-tweeted dozens, even hundreds, of times? We really don't need these news aggregator sites, because in a sense we're all news aggregators. That's what you become every time you e-mail, tweet or re-tweet a link to a news story.

Top 5 new journalism professor job openings

2009-08-24T07:25:00.004-04:00

Editor's Note: Every Monday, we feature what we consider the top five new journalism professor job openings for the week in the United States. Just as there are still newspaper jobs, enrollment in journalism schools is increasing across the country. That means there are plenty of teaching opportunities available.

Here are the top five new journalism professor job openings for this week in the United States:

1. The University of Tennessee in Knoxville seeks an assistant professor in journalism. The job listing states, "We seek an individual with solid journalism experience and a strong academic background who can teach journalistic writing, reporting and editing, and is knowledgeable in converged media issues and web journalism. Ph.D. required at time of appointment. The successful candidate will join a fully converged journalism program with news, magazine, media management, science communication, visual communication and sports journalism tracks."

2. The University of Alabama seeks an assistant professor in journalism (tenure-track position). The job listing states, "The successful candidate will be expected to have a strong background and teaching specialty in emerging media, including digital multimedia production and online journalism. An interest in emerging media’s role in building community is also welcome, given the department’s community journalism emphasis at the graduate level. Qualifications for the tenure-track position include a Ph.D. or other terminal degree by starting date. At minimum, all candidates must have a master’s degree and substantial professional experience. Other preferred qualifications include successful college teaching experience and a record of scholarship or creative activity appropriate for the position sought."

3. North Carolina A&T State University seeks an assistant professor in journalism (tenure-track position). The job listing states, "Teach courses in public relations as well as other conceptual courses in the professional and conceptual aspects of journalism and mass communications; undertake initiatives in teaching, research, production, and/or criticism in specialty; conduct research that results in peer-reviewed publications; advise students; provide service to department, College of Arts and Sciences, University, professional, and general communities."

4. The University of Southern Indiana in Evansville seeks an assistant professor in journalism (tenure-track position). The job listing states, "The department of Communications at the University of Southern Indiana is seeking a colleague for a tenure-track appointment as Assistant Professor of Journalism beginning August 2010. The successful candidate will be qualified to teach basic and advanced journalism, editing and layout, public affairs reporting, as well as editorial and feature writing and literacy journalism. Ph.D. in journalism or a related mass communication area required. Preference will be given to applicants with prior professional experience in journalism and/or undergraduate journalism teaching experience."

5. Roger Williams University in Rhode Island seeks an assistant professor in journalism (tenure-track position). The job listing states, "Primary responsibilities include teaching courses in the Journalism program, developing new courses that address the role of Internet-based media in contemporary news practices, and supporting the major by teaching foundation courses. Other responsibilities include assisting in curriculum design and program development related to the Journalism concentration in particular and the Communication major in general, advising and mentoring students, and serving on college and university committees. An active agenda of scholarly and/or creative professional activities is expected."

If you're not already doing so, follow Scooping the News on Twitter.

Scooping the News ranks this week's top 10 most influential journalists on Twitter

2009-08-21T14:49:00.006-04:00

Editor's Note: Each week, we rank the top 10 most influential journalists on Twitter. This is not a list of the most active journalists or the most followed ones. This is a list of the most influential ones.

Our weekly rankings take into account each journalist's total number of followers and total number of tweets. Most importantly, these rankings are influenced by the average number of times per day that a journalist's tweets are then re-tweeted by other Twitter users.

Top 10 Most Influential Journalists on Twitter

1. Larry King (Last Week: --, Peak: 1, Total Weeks on Chart: 1)

2. Rachel Maddow (Last Week: --, Peak: 2, Total Weeks on Chart: 1)

3. George Stephanopoulos (Last Week: 2, Peak: 2, Total Weeks on Chart: 2)

4. Ana Marie Cox (Last Week: 3, Peak: 3, Total Weeks on Chart: 2)

5. David Gregory (Last Week: 4, Peak: 4, Total Weeks on Chart: 2)

6. John Dickerson (Last Week: 5, Peak: 5, Total Weeks on Chart: 2)

7. Anderson Cooper (Last Week: 9, Peak: 7, Total Weeks on Chart: 2)

8. Scott Simon (Last Week: 7, Peak: 7, Total Weeks on Chart: 2)

9. Bill Simmons (Last Week: --, Peak: 9, Total Weeks on Chart: 1)

10. Jack Gray (Last Week: 8, Peak: 8, Total Weeks on Chart: 2)

If you're not doing so already, make sure you follow Scooping the News on Twitter. Also, starting next week, a brief bio will accompany each of the journalists that rank in the top 10.

The top newspaper job openings this week

2009-08-19T07:24:00.003-04:00

Note: Every Wednesday, Scooping the News identifies five job openings at U.S. newspapers. This information demonstrates that newspaper jobs still exist despite all the layoffs, and we focus on jobs in editing, reporting, designing and photography.

Here are the five U.S. newspaper job openings we decided to highlight this week:

1. The Washington Times seeks a Web producer. The job listing states, "The Washington Times is looking for a Web producer to post breaking news reports and stories that appear in the print product. The job involves evening and weekend hours. The candidate should have sharp news judgment, possess solid editing skills, know AP style well, have a basic knowledge of HTML or XML, have a basic knowledge of the software Ellington, be able to work well in teams and alone, have initiative and be a self-starter, and remain cool and competent under deadline pressure."

2. The Waco Tribune-Herald in Texas seeks a news reporter. The job listing states, "The Tribune-Herald is seeking a reporter who brings previous reporting experience, initiative and a healthy curiosity to the table. Reporters are expected to regularly produce enterprise and watchdog stories, along with regular developments on their beats. We are seeking a hard worker who knows how to develop sources and find the news. The successful applicant will be versed in correct newspaper style and grammar, and have an obsession with accuracy."

3. Thomson Reuters seeks a news reporter in Washington, D.C. The job listing states, "The successful candidate will take the lead in writing major aspects of the financial crimes story from Washington. The emphasis will be on building strong sources to break news important to investors about U.S. Justice Department and FBI investigations of white-collar crimes growing out of the financial crisis. You will also help to lead a team of other correspondents in Washington, New York and elsewhere who are covering financial crimes within the companies and with correspondents on political and general news teams. You will also coordinate with correspondents and editors around the world, in particular with financial industry centres such as London, Zurich and Hong Kong, often writing cross-border stories."

4. The Dallas Morning News seeks an investigative reporter. The job listing states, "The Dallas Morning News Austin Bureau is looking for a versatile, energetic investigative reporter with data-mining skills and a thirst for breaking news in the largest, most experienced Texas Capitol bureau. Candidates should have at least three years experience, preferably in covering government or individual agencies. The position predominantly is geared toward hard-hitting, short-term project work, so candidates should be inquisitive, self-starting and fully versed in Excel/Access, open-records work, computer-assisted reporting and deep Internet research."

5. The Knoxville News Sentinel in Tennessee seeks a continuous news editor. The job listing states, "The Knoxville News Sentinel is looking for a continuous news editor for business and metro. The position is responsible for directing a staff of 25 writers and editors covering business and local news for the print and electronic products of East Tennessee's largest news organization. A successful candidate will have a passion for breaking news and watchdog reporting, absolute integrity and devotion to the tenets of journalism, and at least five years experience managing in a multimedia newsroom."

Top 5 new journalism professor job openings

2009-08-18T09:35:00.005-04:00

Editor's Note: This is a sneak preview of what you can expect every Monday, starting Aug. 24. We will feature what we consider the top five new journalism professor job openings for the week in the United States. Just as there are still newspaper jobs, enrollment in journalism schools is increasing across the country. That means there are plenty of teaching opportunities available.

Here are the top five new journalism professor job openings for this week in the United States:

1. The University of Texas in Arlington seeks an assistant professor in journalism (tenure-track position). The job listing states, "UT Arlington seeks a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Journalism beginning Fall 2010. Applicants with Ph.D.s are preferred; ABDs will be considered. Candidate should demonstrate a record of, or potential for, excellence in social scientific research, teaching, and service appropriate to the rank."

2. Ohio University in Athens seeks an assistant professor in multimedia journalism (tenure-track position). The job listing states, "Candidates should have earned a terminal degree such as Ph.D. or M.F.A. Applicants with ABD status are acceptable, with the understanding that the dissertation must be completed within one year of hire. Candidates with a master's degree, significant experience and a national reputation may be considered."

3. Indiana University in Bloomington seeks lecturers in several areas of journalism (non-tenure-track positions). The job listing states, "Indiana University's School of Journalism on the Bloomington campus seeks applicants for new lecturer positions in areas such as advertising, graphic design, magazine, multimedia, online journalism and public relations. Initial contracts are for three years, with renewals possible."

4. The University of Oregon in Eugene seeks an assistant professor in online journalism (tenure-track position). The job listing states, "The successful candidate will have professional experience in online journalism, a demonstrated commitment to teaching, and to scholarship and/or creative activity in the field. An advanced degree and either teaching experience or demonstrated potential for university teaching are required. Preferred candidates will hold the Ph.D., or have a strong professional portfolio."

5. Ball State University in Indiana seeks an assistant professor in journalism (tenure-track position). The job listing states, "Responsibilities: opportunities for teaching undergraduate courses in multimedia storytelling, emerging media, writing and editing across platforms and graduate courses in theories, research methods and management; program leadership opportunities in the news-editorial sequence."

Scooping the News announces honor roll: Most innovative daily paper Web sites for '09

2009-08-17T10:56:00.004-04:00

Earlier this summer, we began evaluating five U.S. daily newspapers' Web sites per week, and we ended up issuing innovation report cards for 45 publications. Only daily newspapers with a minimum print circulation of 100,000 were evaluated. What appears below is our 2009 honor roll of the most innovative U.S. metro daily newspapers' Web sites. These are the best of the big newspapers when it comes to Web innovation.

To access the complete series with all 45 evaluations, click here. Also, if you're not doing so already, make sure you follow Scooping the News on Twitter.

The Indianapolis Star: design/navigation = 4; reader presence = 4; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 12.

The Arizona Republic: design/navigation = 4; reader presence = 3; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 11.

Star Tribune in Minneapolis: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 4; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 11.

San Francisco Chronicle: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 4; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 11.

The Orange County Register: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 4; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 11.

The Denver Post: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 4; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 11.

The Baltimore Sun: design/navigation = 4; reader presence = 4; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 12.

Houston Chronicle: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 4; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 11.

Knoxville News Sentinel: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 4; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 11.

The Miami Herald: design/navigation = 4; reader presence = 3; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 11.

Scooping the News ranks this week's top 10 most influential journalists on Twitter

2009-08-14T13:05:00.003-04:00

Editor's Note: This is the debut of a new feature that we'll publish every Friday. Each week, we will rank the top 10 most influential journalists on Twitter. This is not a list of the most active journalists or the most followed ones. This is a list of the most influential ones.

Top 10 Most Influential Journalists on Twitter

1. Ann Curry

2. George Stephanopoulos

7. Scott Simon

8. Jack Gray

9. Anderson Cooper

10. Nicholas Kristof

If you're not doing so already, make sure you follow Scooping the News on Twitter.

Which journalists should you follow online?

2009-08-13T13:16:00.003-04:00

Who are the most influential journalists on Twitter? Find out Friday in a new weekly feature from Scooping the News. In the meantime, follow us on Twitter.

The top newspaper job openings this week

2009-08-12T09:09:00.002-04:00

Here are the five U.S. newspaper job openings we decided to highlight this week:

1. Seattlepi.com seeks a night and weekend producer/editor/reporter. The job listing states,"Must be able to write headlines, blog posts, stories and other content with speed, accuracy, fairness, voice and flair. Must be comfortable multitasking and juggling complex workflows, must understand how and when to use maps, charts, video, audio and multimedia and be able to edit everything from a simple blog post to a complex news story. Must have worked as an editor and reporter for a minimum of 2 years each."

2. The Naples Daily News in Florida seeks a business staff writer. The job listing states, "The successful applicant will have the ability to juggle daily stories, quick turnaround postings for the Web as well as reach into the community for stories on interesting people and events. Ability to shoot video, familiarity with audio recording or willingness to learn other multimedia story techniques is a plus. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree with a major or minor in journalism, communications, English or a related field."

3. The Corpus Christi Caller-Times in Texas seeks a copy editor. The job listing states, "Scripps Texas Central Desk, which produces four newspapers in the state, welcomes highly motivated, creative journalists with experience in page design and copyediting to apply to our team, based in seaside Corpus Christi. Web knowledge/skills required. Steadiness on deadline and willingness to communicate with co-workers within newsroom and outside also necessary. This is a fast-paced environment with strict publication deadlines."

4. The Colorado Daily seeks a news reporter. The job listing states, "We're looking for a creative reporter who will find new, interesting and fun ways to chronicle -- both in print and online -- the daily lives of CU's students, whether that be covering breaking campus news, examining the latest college trends or simply writing about what they do for fun on Thursday nights. Applicants must have a college degree and, preferably, one to two years' professional newspaper experience; be clean, fast and proficient writers; and be Web savvy and well-versed in the latest online media and social-networking tools."

5. The Kansas City Star seeks a Web designer. The job listing states, "The successful candidate will work with newsroom managers, editors and end users to conceptualize, plan and design on-line products. Projects will cover a wide range of possibilities from adding widgets to existing sites to building complex new websites. The ideal candidate must display excellent written and oral skills with demonstrated interpersonal and organization abilities. The web designer will be expected to keep up to date with advances in design technology and to apply these advances to existing products as needed."

Five more newspaper Web sites evaluated

2009-08-10T11:57:00.004-04:00

Note: Each week, Scooping the News selects five U.S. daily newspapers' Web sites and evaluates how well they are performing in three out of these five areas used to define innovation. Newspapers with a minimum daily print circulation of 100,000 receive scores. This weekly report card shows who is innovating and who isn't. Innovative newspapers attract online readers.

Scooping the News evaluated the following five newspaper Web sites on their design/navigation, reader presence and evidence of continuous updates. Each newspaper received a score ranging from 1 to 4 (1 = no innovation, 2 = limited innovation, 3 = good innovation and 4 = significant innovation). The total of these scores provides an innovation composite score.

1. The Star-Ledger: design/navigation = 2; reader presence = 1; and evidence of continuous updates = 3. Innovation composite score = 6.

2. St. Louis Post-Dispatch: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 3; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 10.

3. The Kansas City Star: design/navigation = 2; reader presence = 3; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 9.

4. The Indianapolis Star: design/navigation = 4; reader presence = 4; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 12.

5. San Jose Mercury News: design/navigation = 2; reader presence = 2; and evidence of continuous updates = 2. Innovation composite score = 6.

To review the five newspapers evaluated August 3, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated July 27, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated July 20, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated July 13, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated July 6, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated June 29, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated June 22, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated June 15, click here.

Remembering five classic John Hughes films

2009-08-07T09:34:00.007-04:00

This column has absolutely nothing to do with the newspaper industry. Instead, this is a column about five films that achieved critical and box office success. All five films came about because of a talented man named John Hughes. That accomplished 59-year-old man died suddenly Thursday of a heart attack. While Hughes stepped out of the limelight in the early 1990s, his films have continued to impact and affect people.

Here are five of Hughes' films that I adore. If you've never experienced Hughes' work, or if it's just been a while, check out these five films. Whether they are timeless commentaries on youth in the United States, or comedic takes on holidays such as Christmas, all five of them are celebrations of excellent writing, directing and acting. Below this list of movies is a video clip of a documentary being produced about John Hughes and a clip featuring scenes from his films.

1. The Breakfast Club (1985). Hughes wrote, produced and directed this important movie about what life is like for teens attending high school. Ten years later when I started writing for my high school newspaper, this film was still popular and we talked about it in the newsroom on a regular basis. What clique were you in during high school?

2. Christmas Vacation (1989). Hughes wrote and produced this holiday classic that is easily watched more than a dozen times every Christmas in my home. As with all of Hughes' films, Christmas Vacation managed to somehow work emotional, serious moments into scenes filled with comedic genius. How many of us have had holidays this crazy?

3. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986). Hughes wrote, produced and directed this film that launched the careers of Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck and Ben Stein. This is another great commentary on the life of teenagers both at home and at school. It's a film about teenager dreams and fantasies. Did you live out this film in your own life?

4. Home Alone (1990). Hughes wrote and produced this film about a boy who gets left at home while the rest of his family flies to Europe for Christmas. This film introduced the world to a young director named Chris Columbus and an even younger actor named Macaulay Culkin. Overall, it has one of the best casts of any movie made in the 1990s. Have you seen it?

5. Weird Science (1985). Hughes wrote and directed this often forgotten film. Not only does the cast include Anthony Michael Hall and a young Bill Paxton, but it introduced the world to a rising actor named Robert Downey Jr. This was Hughes' one foray into the sci-fi world, but it retained the comedic genius of his other work. Have you ever heard of this film?

Finally, if you've made it this far in the column, read the best John Hughes obituary on the Web (from the Chicago Tribune). Here is the last published interview ever conducted with Hughes from January of this year.

The top newspaper job openings this week

2009-08-05T13:16:00.004-04:00

Here are the five U.S. newspaper job openings we decided to highlight this week:

1. The New York Post seeks an associate metropolitan editor. The job listing states, "The New York Post is seeking a sharp, tough-minded, experienced and energetic associate metro editor who is able to thrive in a fast-moving, highly charged atmosphere. The job includes developing story ideas, managing reporters, collaborating with photo editors, updating the paper’s vibrant, highly popular Website and editing copy under heavy deadline pressure. The position provides rarely a dull moment but requires an iron will."

2. The Salt Lake Tribune seeks a Spanish language writer/editor. The job listing states, "Ahora Utah, a Spanish-language weekly newspaper serving northern Utah's vibrant Latino population, seeks a skilled journalist for full-time employment. Candidates should have at least three years experience in writing and editing news copy in Spanish. Experience with page layout/design is a plus, as is a knowledge of Salt Lake City and its surroundings. Ahora Utah is a free newspaper (distribution: 15,000 per week) published by The Salt Lake Tribune, Utah's largest daily newspaper."

3. The Sandusky Register in Ohio seeks an online producer. The job listing states, "You'll be a part of our newsroom and be in charge of keeping sanduskyregister.com fresh with stories, photos, video, other interactive ventures and live streaming from various events in our coverage area. The online producer position will work under the umbrella of the newly created multimedia department and directly with the chief photographer as well as coordinating efforts with the news editors, our sports department and design desk."

4. The New York Times Company seeks a Web newsroom intern. The job listing states, "The internship in the Web newsroom involves participating both in the packaging of online news in The Times's fast-paced newsroom, as well as assisting in the development of interactive projects and features for internal content management systems. The intern will work with producers, reporters and editors who work on both the Web site and the newspaper. He or she will assist in the production of stories for various sections; developing interactive features with Flash. Archiving and research tasks will also be associated with both breaking news events and enterprise stories."

5. The Herald Times Reporter in Wisconsin seeks a news reporter. The job listing states, "The Herald Times Reporter in Manitowoc seeks a versatile journalist to join our award-winning news staff. The successful candidate will generate local content for print and online, focusing on public schools and three local colleges. Our reporters also handle general assignments and have the opportunity to take on projects, flip videos and blogs. The successful candidate will post to our Web site and write for the front page of the daily newspaper from day one."

Five more newspaper Web sites evaluated

2009-08-03T21:45:00.003-04:00

1. USA Today: This is what the Web site looks like today. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 3; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 10.

2. The Washington Post: This is what the Web site looks like today. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 2; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 9.

3. The Arizona Republic: This is what the Web site looks like today. Area scores: design/navigation = 4; reader presence = 3; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 11.

4. The Plain Dealer: This is what the Web site looks like today. Area scores: design/navigation = 2; reader presence = 2; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 8.

5. Detroit Free Press: This is what the Web site looks like today. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 3; and evidence of continuous updates = 3. Innovation composite score = 9.

To review the five newspapers evaluated July 27, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated July 20, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated July 13, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated July 6, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated June 29, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated June 22, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated June 15, click here.

NY Times ranks #1 in readership stability

2009-07-31T19:49:00.006-04:00

Note: The newspaper readership stability rankings appear the last Friday of each month.

July 2009 U.S. Daily Newspaper Readership Stability Rankings

1. The New York Times, 1.79 (#1 last month)

2. Los Angeles Times, 1.75 (#7 last month)

3. New York Daily News, 1.46 (#6 last month)

4. The Star-Ledger, 1.23 (#2 last month)

5. The Wall Street Journal, 1.13 (#4 last month)

6. USA Today, 1.10 (#5 last month)

7. The Washington Post, 1.08 (#3 last month)

8. Detroit Free Press, 0.80 (unranked last month)

9. The Philadelphia Inquirer, 0.79 (unranked last month)

10. San Francisco Chronicle, 0.49 (unranked last month)

This month's endangered newspaper list:

The STN Monthly Examiner -- July 31, 2009

The STN Monthly Examiner

Scooping the News' readership stability rankings for U.S. daily newspapers provide a composite score that takes into account a newspaper's total print and online circulation figures and that newspaper's growth or lack of growth in both areas. A newspaper's composite score reflects both stability in terms of readership base and whether there is growth or a decline in that readership base.

Print circulation figures come from the Audit Bureau of Circulations and online readership figures are reported by Nielsen Online. Scooping the News' formula for calculating a newspaper's composite score is (online readers in millions multiplied by .1) + (percent change in online readers from one year ago divided by 100) + (print readers in millions multiplied by .1) + (percent change in print readers from one year ago divided by 100).

Newspapers are then ranked according to their composite score. The higher the composite score, the higher the newspaper's power ranking. If one newspaper is ranked above another one, the one ranked higher possesses more stable readership and better growth patterns. The rankings reflect which U.S. daily newspapers are performing the best in attracting and keeping both print and online readers.

The top newspaper job openings this week

2009-07-29T22:49:00.011-04:00

Here are the five U.S. newspaper job openings we decided to highlight this week:

1. The Georgetown News-Graphic in Kentucky seeks a general assignment reporter. The job listing states, "Georgetown News-Graphic has immediate openings for enterprising reporters. Must recognize news and be willing to pursue the story. We are looking for fresh, innovative writers. The beats will include local government, area schools and police beats as well as feature stories. Thorough knowledge of AP style required. Excellent opportunity for recent college graduates."

2. The Virginian-Pilot seeks a news designer. The job listing states, "The Virginian-Pilot is looking for a news designer who can bring out the best in good material and can turn the routine into the remarkable. In this position, you will also produce daily pages, and feed your creativity in a pleasant, collaborative environment. We aim for compelling pages every day, and you'll work with editors, artists and other designers toward that goal. If you think outside the box; if you look for conceptual design solutions; if you like to take risks and try new things; we want to hear from you."

3. The Associated Press seeks a chief of bureau in Boston. The job listing states, "The ideal candidate will have a proven record of developing and building relationships with newspapers, broadcast and new-media news and business operations. He or she can develop market sales strategies and build participation in strategic initiatives, articulate business benefits and news values and goals. This person can manage competing priorities and multiple projects, and works well across divisions and reporting lines."

4. The Dallas Morning News seeks a sports desk intern. The job listing states, "Fall desk internship, 2009 – The Dallas Morning News is seeking 2009 spring or summer graduates for a 16-week desk internship running from late August to mid-December. The chosen applicant will be expected to be a full contributor to SportsDay's night desk. Applicants should have a strong interest in copy editing. Previous internship experience will be considered. Applicants should e-mail materials to sports editor Garry Leavell at gleavell@dallasnews.com."

5. The Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville seeks an interactive graphic artist. The job listing states, "We're looking for an interactive graphic artist who can take a lead role in finding new ways to represent and communicate data in digital and print forms. At least half of your time will be dedicated to digital projects, but you will have the opportunity to translate these projects for print purposes. You will join a staff of three graphic artists and work closely with our digital development team."

Web sites of five big newspapers evaluated

2009-07-27T22:18:00.004-04:00

Scooping the News evaluated the following five newspaper Web sites on their design/navigation, reader presence and evidence of continuous updates. Each newspaper received a score ranging from 1 to 4 based on changes in its Web site from five years ago to present (1 = no change, 2 = limited innovation, 3 = good innovation and 4 = significant innovation). The total of these scores provides an innovation composite score.

1. The Boston Globe: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 4; reader presence = 2; and evidence of continuous updates = 2. Innovation composite score = 8.

2. The Philadelphia Inquirer: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 2; and evidence of continuous updates = 3. Innovation composite score = 8.

3. St. Petersburg Times in Florida: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 2; reader presence = 3; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 9.

4. The San Diego Union-Tribune: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 2; reader presence = 3; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 9.

5. The Sacramento Bee: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 2; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 9.

To review the five newspapers evaluated July 20, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated July 13, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated July 6, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated June 29, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated June 22, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated June 15, click here.

The scoop on the News Sentinel's redesign

2009-07-24T09:34:00.003-04:00

by Georgiana Vines, a guest columnist for Scooping the News

My local newspaper, the Knoxville News Sentinel, has just redesigned its Web site, www.knoxnews.com, and I’m having to get used to it.

It’s has a black background and I’ve noticed some reader comments that it reminds them of a funeral. I’ve also had some trouble accessing stories. I thought this might be a problem with the Web site although I also wondered if the problem was with my computer.

I don’t think I’m in the category of not liking change. But I did have some questions about the new redesign so I sent Jack Lail, the newspaper’s director of news innovation, an e-mail with them. Jack and I have been colleagues. I’ve known him since 1984 when he came to the News Sentinel as a reporter. During his career in Knoxville, he’s been the city editor and the business editor. He started working on new media projects in 1994.

One of the things I learned from our exchange was that Knoxville was the third of the newspapers in the E.W. Scripps Co. to go online with its new redesign, which has been customized for the company’s newspapers.

Here’s Jack’s and my exchange:

Why is the redesign so dark and dreary?

We think the black makes photos pop out and the white text stand out, but the white text on black is mainly only in the "top stories" area of the Web site. This design is code-named "Asphalt" by E.W. Scripps' User Experience team and "BTop" (for black top) by the programming team so they have a sense of humor about it.
We did some usability testing this week using the Evansville (Courier & Press) site and the dark is not an issue. Many like it and the design fared well overall.

I'm finding slow reaction to it. It takes much longer to access a story. Have you had others complain about this?
We have had people complain and we've done quite a bit of measurement around that. We think the home page is about the same "weight" as the previous one was and we're seeing even shorter load times in many tests. But loading slower has been a complaint I've heard several times. It's somewhat of a mystery to me.

And then there was the fluke of the U.S. Senate race story that popped up yesterday that you and I have already had an exchange over. (This story that I wrote ran in 2006.) Have other stories popped up? Where do they come from, and why does this happen?
No, I was unable to get to the bottom of what happened there. A new process is monitoring Web requests to our Web servers in real time for a 24-hour period. Apparently, it has learned to hiccup.

Why did you do the redesign? How many redesigns have been done under your watch?
It had been two years since the last redesign and that's a long time given the speed at which the Internet is moving. There are a lot of trends, research and features we're trying to take advantage of.
This also is the most standardized Web design we've seen from E.W. Scripps. For the first time, the design (not the content) is about 80 percent controlled by Scripps and not changeable at the local level. This is allowing a rapid rollout of sites (one about every two weeks) and will allow updates to happen very quickly as well.
This increased standardization has been a major objective of Rusty Coats, head of the Scripps Interactive Newspaper Group (SING) based here in Knoxville. But there's still enough flexibility to be creative and innovative at the local level.
Oh, several redesigns. Here are the last four. On all of these, the design team has been led by Scripps' Herb Himes, who lives here in Knoxville, a very talented designer indeed.

And how did you realize that Web sites, Twitter, Facebook, etc., would be the future of journalism before so many other people did?
Like many things, I have no clue. They just looked fun and interesting to me. I also talked with Rusty Coats, to find out which Scripps newspaper will be next to go through the Web redesign. He said the Texas “properties” would roll out the first of September. The Texas papers are the Abilene Reporter-News, Corpus Christi Caller-Times, San Angelo Standard-Times and Wichita Falls – Times Record News.

Since I’m retired from full-time employment, I was really glad to get this update on what’s happening in the Scripps organization with its Web sites. I’m still a political columnist for the News Sentinel as a freelancer and people continue to associate me with the newspaper so I like to know what’s going on.

It’s also information I’ll use in the media management class I’ll teach in the School of Journalism & Electronic Media at the University of Tennessee this fall. I certainly want to be on top of the latest in journalism and feel in the online area the Scripps newspapers are showing the way.

Georgiana Vines started working for newspapers more than 40 years ago. In addition to serving as the editor of the El Paso Herald-Post, Vines held the position of national president of the Society of Professional Journalists from 1992-1993. To follow Vines on Twitter,click here. To read her columns for the Knoxville News Sentinel, click here.

Opinions expressed in this column are solely those of Vines and do not represent the views of Scooping the News.

See NPR's new site before it debuts July 27

2009-07-23T10:15:00.003-04:00

At present, NPR is ranked No. 27 in the list of the top online news sources. Its new Web site might help it break into the top 25. See why that's a possibility in the video below.

This week's top five newspaper job openings

2009-07-22T07:04:00.011-04:00

Here are the five U.S. newspaper job openings we decided to highlight this week:

1. The Killeen Daily Herald in Texas seeks a sports reporter. The job listing states, "The Killeen Daily Herald, a growing 20,000/25,000 circulation daily in the beautiful Central Texas Hill Country, is seeking a sports writer to join an energetic staff that covers five major high schools plus peripheral teams, small university and minor league baseball and hockey nearby. The KDH sports staff also fuels content for a thriving sports Web site with coverage reaching readers/viewers around the globe because of the paper´s location next to the largest military base in the free world, Fort Hood. This is the perfect opportunity for a writer at a small daily or a weekly who is looking to move up."

2. The Amarillo Globe-News in Texas seeks a copy editor. The job listing states, "The Amarillo Globe-News, a Morris Communication newspaper in the Texas Panhandle (daily circulation 42,000), is seeking a dynamic copy editor to join our night news desk. The ideal candidate will have at least two years’ experience at a daily newspaper, but we will consider promising recent graduates. We need a person with sharp editing skills, strong news judgment, knowledge of AP style and a gift for headlines."

3. The Hill newspaper in Washington, D.C., seeks a full-time blog editor. The job listing states, "The Hill newspaper seeks a hard working blogger/blog editor to join its expanding online staff. The successful applicant will be an enthusiast for multi-media journalism willing to work long and irregular hours. The job includes reporting and writing, plus administrative tasks, directing interns and coordinating projects with online editors. Some political reporting experience is necessary and a working knowledge of Congress would be a strong advantage, but most important is a genuine interest in news, an appetite for current affairs and an instinct for keeping up with the buzz in federal politics."

4. The Wichita Eagle in Kansas seeks a Web editor to lead its interactive efforts. The job listing states, "The Wichita Eagle is looking for an innovative and energetic Web editor to lead our interactive efforts, not just on our six-person online staff, but across a newsroom that is fast becoming a Web-first, multimedia news operation. You’ll find lots of momentum and enthusiasm here, and we’re seeking a collaborative leader to help lead, direct, coach, evangelize and innovate with us. We’re the dominant news site in our market and our state, and our next interactive leader will help us choose the best path and priorities to continue capitalizing on our superior market strength. The deputy editor is a member of the newsroom’s senior leadership team. He or she works closely with the editor to set strategy and priorities for online content, and collaborates with the publisher and advertising leaders to build our business. The deputy editor must be a strong communicator who is highly organized and able to manage multiple projects at once, across divisions of the company. We’re moving with urgency to transform our organization, and our next digital team leader will be at the forefront of our charge."

5. The Roswell Daily Record in New Mexico seeks two reporters. The job listing states, "The Roswell Daily Record in sunny New Mexico is looking for two general assignment reporters who can write about topics ranging from hard news to light features and everything in between. We’re a family-owned, community-oriented, award-winning daily in southeastern New Mexico with a circulation of about 11,000. We are searching for hungry entry-level reporters looking to break into the competitive world of journalism."

Web sites of five big newspapers evaluated

2009-07-20T09:27:00.005-04:00

Scooping the News evaluated the following five newspaper Web sites on their design/navigation, reader presence and evidence of continuous updates. Each newspaper received a score ranging from 1 to 4 based on changes in its Web site from five years ago to present (1 = no change, 2 = limited innovation, 3 = good innovation and 4 = significant innovation). The total of these scores provides an innovation composite score.

1. The New York Times: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 3; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 10.

2. The Wall Street Journal: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 2; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 9.

3. Star Tribune in Minneapolis: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 4; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 11.

4. Chicago Sun-Times: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 2; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 9.

5. San Francisco Chronicle: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 4; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 11.

To review the five newspapers evaluated July 13, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated July 6, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated June 29, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated June 22, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated June 15, click here.

The importance of listening to your readers

2009-07-17T15:28:00.004-04:00

As a former newspaper reporter, I can remember the dozens of telephone calls I used to receive on a daily basis while sitting at my desk in the newsroom. Often times when I would return from covering an assignment, I would see the red "message" light lit up on my telephone. Working at a newspaper, you never quite know who will be on the other end when you answer the telephone.

I never knew when I might encounter someone who was angry about one of my recent stories, or when I might hear from one of the many readers who called on a weekly basis with story ideas and tips. One thing is certain: I never ignored my telephone because I always knew the call might be important. I eventually became used to taking calls at work, on my cell and even at home at all times of the day and night.

During the course of several years hearing from readers via phone and e-mail, I realized just how important it is for newspaper reporters to at least listen to what their readers have to say. The main reason for that is because our readers are news consumers -- the people we're trying to inform -- and their opinions and preferences matter. You serve the readers, not the sources. It doesn't mean you have to always follow readers' advice, but at least give them a chance to speak.

Here are five valuable lessons I learned about journalism from taking the time to listen to readers.

1. If you take the time to review public records and conduct research, you might discover an important story readers need to know about. I can't tell you how many times I received telephone calls from one gentleman in particular who always suggested different public records I should review. This man just had a feeling there might be something newsworthy hidden deep inside the thick budget just passed by the county government. He was right nine times out of 10. No matter how much times it takes, journalists must be willing to dig for stories and search through stacks of documents.

2. There are sources you don't know about that can provide key information for stories you're writing. I always asked sources at the end of interviews about other people they thought I should interview for a specific story. That question usually resulted in me lining up an interview with someone I might never have thought of interviewing before. Many times I received phone calls from readers who wanted to suggest a story for me to cover. These readers usually suggested sources too. So, readers actually helped me cover some of my stories in the sense that their suggestions ultimately led to me arranging interviews with the sources they informed me about.

3. There are news events that are about to occur, and readers sometimes know about them before the people getting paid to cover the news. Sometimes I heard from someone once and never heard from that person again. Other times, I heard from some individuals on a weekly basis. While some of my readers claimed to have knowledge of upcoming events and their so-called "tips" didn't pan out, other readers clued me into stories that actually ended up happening. I was happy to know ahead of time about events or stories that were about to emerge. We must give some readers credit, because they may be better informed than us. It's OK to admit that.

4. There are many benefits to surveying your subscribers, and one of the most important benefits is finding out what your readers don't like about your newspaper. When I started at the Georgetown News-Graphic on Sept. 10, 2001, my first assignment was to photograph a two-vehicle non-injury accident that took place that afternoon. My newspaper thought it was very important to cover both injury and non-injury accidents. Later that year, we surveyed the readers. Imagine how shocked my publisher was to find out readers didn't like all the photographs of what they called "twisted metal" that appeared in the newspaper. Despite that reader input, my editor ordered me to cover such non-injury accidents for three years.

5. Journalists always have room for improvement when it comes to reporting and writing stories, and sometimes we need others to help us realize that. Sure, I received my share of angry phone calls from school principals and police detectives who didn't appreciate my balanced stories that held them accountable for their actions. But, I also received my share of phone calls from readers who thought I should have considered a different angle to a story or maybe used different sources. I never apologized to any of my sources or readers just because they didn't like a story that I knew was accurate. At the same time, I gave readers a chance to voice their opinions. Along the way, I realized that some readers made good points. There are sometimes ways to cover a story that for one reason or another we can't see. We just need someone to open our eyes, and readers can do that for us.

Newspaper jobs still exist and here are five

2009-07-15T21:45:00.006-04:00

Here are the five U.S. newspaper job openings we decided to highlight this week:

1. The Anniston Star in Alabama seeks a page designer. The job listing states, "Do you have a keen eye for design? Are you detail-oriented? Do you enjoy thinking out of the box? Then The Anniston Star -- a 25,000 daily in Anniston, Ala. -- wants you. We're looking for a full-time page designer with InDesign, Photoshop and copy-editing skills. The job requires night hours. The ideal candidate will have experience designing news and features pages."

2. The Birmingham News in Alabama seeks a sports reporter. The job listing states, "The Birmingham News seeks an experienced sports reporter to cover a major college beat. Candidates should demonstrate previous experience on a major college beat, including spot news, features, enterprise reporting and blogging. Candidates should demonstrate initiative and strong writing skills."

3. The Idaho Statesman seeks a business reporter. The job listing states, "You should be a first-rate writer with a demonstrated passion for journalism. You’ll work as one of two business reporters to break news online and in print. We expect our reporters to be comfortable working on multiple platforms, using each medium to its advantage. You should be able to write sophisticated, fair, compelling stories of Idaho business people, problems and trends – and be fast and comfortable presenting information in alternative story forms."

4. The Las Vegas Sun seeks a veteran reporter. The job listing states, "Our reporters spend all day every day working on stories that reporters at most newspapers wish they could do even once. We have a strong team of veteran editors who take pride in making the Sun better month to month, year to year. We want experienced applicants who can demonstrate that they work hard, have strong critical thinking skills, love the craft of writing and can report at this level."

5. Village Voice Media in Los Angeles seeks a staff writer. The job listing states, "We are looking for an experienced reporter with the writing skills necessary to produce both long-form magazine-style stories and contributions to our news blog, LA Daily. The ideal candidate will be local -- someone from or very familiar with Los Angeles who can hit the ground running with established sources. If your copy is as much a pleasure to read as it is well researched, we want to hear from you. This is a fulltime Union position with benefits."

Why newspapers must provide a unique voice

2009-07-14T08:26:00.004-04:00

We all know by now that newspapers are hurting when it comes to bringing in advertising revenue. That story has been rewritten and repackaged dozens, if not hundreds, of times and spread across the Internet this year. We also know print circulation is down across the country and many newspapers are reducing the number of days they publish, going online only, or shutting down.

Where do these events leave the newspaper industry in terms of its future? Well, newspapers still represent a vital service to all who read them and even those who never read them. Why? Because you have trained professionals with the resources and support needed to inform the public and hold the government accountable. Right now, the newspaper industry's voice is quiet and being lost in a sea of sounds.

The other sounds are coming from blogs, online news sites and online-only newspapers. They spread and discuss the news. Twitter and Facebook allow all of us to distribute and discuss the news. We all participate in the news distribution process. With more voices present than ever before, the newspaper industry must stand out in order to remain relevant in the digital age of news distribution and consumption.

In order to remain competitive in the news industry, newspapers and the people who work for them must revise their vision of what journalism is all about. The fact that newspapers are losing advertising revenue is yesterday's news. It's time for new visions and fresh starts to emerge from the past six months of sad stories about the industry. There are two ways of thinking that will help newspapers craft a new vision.

Don't let your coverage be dictated by what other newspapers or television stations are reporting. Find stories that haven't been reported yet. Provide readers with an original product that will then get tweeted about. With blogs and 24/7 online news sources available, there are plenty of unique, original voices popping up along the digital news landscape. Consumers want something that adds to the knowledge they already possess. Tell us something new.

Learn how to investigate stories by researching the facts and finding sources with different backgrounds and different viewpoints to interview. At their very best, newspaper reporters are investigative journalists. Just because we live in a world of text messages and 140-characters-or-less tweets doesn't mean newspapers should stop producing in-depth stories. In fact, in this iPhone world we need in-depth, investigative stories more than ever before.

If newspapers can adopt these two ways of thinking, then they will preserve their role in this modern era of journalism. It's a sad day when newspapers layoff reporters, editors and other staff. It's even worse when you see newspaper Web sites that lack any real substance. The time has come for newspapers to revitalize an industry that once ruled the news arena. That's going to require a new vision.

No big innovators among these newspapers

2009-07-13T08:59:00.006-04:00

Scooping the News evaluated the following five newspaper Web sites on their design/navigation, reader presence and evidence of continuous updates. Each newspaper received a score ranging from 1 to 4 based on changes in its Web site from five years ago to present (1 = no change, 2 = limited innovation, 3 = good innovation and 4 = significant innovation). The total of these scores provides an innovation composite score.

1. The Blade in Toledo, Ohio: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 2; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 9.

2. Dayton Daily News: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 3; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 10.

3. The Florida Times-Union: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 2; reader presence = 3; and evidence of continuous updates = 2. Innovation composite score = 7.

4. Boston Herald: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 3; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 10.

5. The Orange County Register: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 4; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 11.

To review the five newspapers evaluated July 6, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated June 29, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated June 22, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated June 15, click here.

Model your paper's Web site after msnbc.com

2009-07-10T10:33:00.009-04:00

It's a fact that msnbc.com is the No. 1 most visited online news source, and many daily newspapers are redesigning their Web sites using some of the design elements present on msnbc.com. The Knoxville News Sentinel unveiled its new look Wednesday, The Baltimore Sun unveiled its new look in June and The Miami Herald unveiled its new look in the last year. Each newspaper clearly divides and labels sections such as sports and opinion.

Several daily newspapers need a major Web site redesign including the Lexington Herald-Leader, the Courier-Journal and The Birmingham News. There are reasons why msnbc.com is attracting readers, and some daily newspapers are figuring out those reasons. Below are five reasons why newspapers should start modeling their Web sites after msnbc.com.

1. A user-friendly layout keeps your readers happy. There are many daily newspapers with outdated Web sites lacking user-friendly layouts, and publishers must realize that navigation plays a critical role in attracting and keeping online readers. News consumers seek out specific kinds of information and they want to locate stories in a quick and easy manner. A bad design is three or four vertical columns with no clear division between sections. While print newspapers are in decline, it doesn't mean the idea of sections should disappear. Sections are user friendly, and msnbc.com divides stories into sections that are clearly labeled.

2. It shouldn't be difficult or tiresome to explore a news Web site's archives. First, place the archives search tool near or at the top of the Web site's main page. That way it's easy to locate. Second, label the search tool so that readers know it's there. The search tool on msnbc.com is labeled and located in the center at the top of the main page. Also, when readers search for stories about a specific subject, bring up all the stories starting with the most recent one first. Don't display only stories that appeared in the last two weeks and then require readers to fill out an advanced search form to find older coverage.

3. Consumers want access to news that covers a wide variety of subjects. At msnbc.com readers can read stories, view pictures and watch videos about everything from health insurance to entertainment gossip. Some newspaper Web sites still don't understand that consumers want a comprehensive selection to choose from when getting their daily news. If your newspaper includes entertainment gossip or other special features not pertaining to city council or library board meetings, then you should upload all your content onto your Web site. In this digital age, news consumers expect to find everything they want on the Internet.

4. News consumers also expect regular updates on ongoing stories and the latest coverage on breaking news. Whether it's simply adding an Associated Press feed to your Web site, or assigning a reporter to update your Web site throughout the day, it's absolutely necessary for newspapers to transform themselves from a once daily print publication to a 24/7 online news source. If you're only uploading the stories from today's print edition to your Web site, then you're simply being lazy. Small newspapers might lack the financial and personnel resources to pull off a 24/7 online news site, but most daily newspapers have absolutely no excuse for not providing continuous updates.

5. The final reason is that msnbc.com still remembers the importance of content and especially in-depth reporting. Too many newspaper Web sites consist solely of stories from the print edition, a few reporters' blogs and perhaps an Associated Press feed. What happened to solid, in-depth news reporting that delved below the surface details and uncovered the heart and complexities of a story? Well, that kind of news reporting still exists; it's just in short supply at many newspapers. The Lexington Herald-Leader is one daily that despite three rounds of McClatchy layoffs in the last year is utilizing the few reporters that remain to produce investigative stories that raise important questions.

The STN Follower of the Month is Dawn Dickson Van Ness, a graduate student

2009-07-09T09:48:00.008-04:00

Editor's Note: Scooping the News features one of our followers every month. The only requirement is that the individual must follow Scooping the News on Twitter.

Name: Dawn Dickson Van Ness
Occupation: Graduate Student at Virginia Commonwealth University
Blog/Web Site: http://dawnvanness.wordpress.com/ (under construction)

The three celebrities I want to interview the most: President Obama, Actress Cate Blanchett, Musician Dave Matthews. Although once someone has attained celebrity status, they have been written about enough probably; I would rather catch someone on the cusp of real celebrity, not the manufactured kind that brings us Jonas Brothers, Britney Spears and Paris. I want to be interviewing that special person right before the public realizes that person is significant. I want to say, I knew them when, I was there, and I saw it coming.

Favorite Web site (other than Scooping the News): Mashable. If you want to know about social media, Mashable has a significant amount of information provided by some awesome people.

One news source I can't live without: Twitter. When you can bring all the news feeds together and mix it with links people have independently sourced from everywhere over the net, well, that is when you really know you got something.

The last great movie I watched: O'Brother, Where Art Thou? Often times the treasure you find will not be the one you seek.

One news event I wish I had covered: Honduras Military Coup. The players are real, the action is intense, the stakes are high; if I could accomplish reporting and make a solid journalistic contribution in that confusing environment, I would know I was at the top of my game. I, however, have human limitations, but it is nice to have over-the-top fantasies. I do, however, believe that good reporting, good journalism, takes emersion and really knowing the people you are engaging; if you don't, you are at the mercy of your sources. Who wants to be on the spin cycle? And when you are on to something, it ought to give you a head rush.

Thanks, Dawn! Great movie selection! The soundtrack is also pretty good. Say hello to Dawn in our comments section below.

Newspaper jobs still exist and here are five

2009-07-08T08:19:00.003-04:00

Here are the five U.S. newspaper job openings we decided to highlight this week:

1. The Las Vegas Review-Journal seeks news reporters. The job listing states, "The Las Vegas Review-Journal, Nevada’s largest daily, anticipates hiring experienced news reporters and strong writers for the political and court beats. The political beat requires covering campaigns and elections for state and federal office, assisting in coverage of the Legislature and Congress, and writing on news, issues and trends. The court position requires writing on news, issues and trends in the state court system, with an emphasis on criminal cases."

2. The Roanoke Times in Virginia seeks an interactive designer. The job listing states, "The Roanoke Times is looking for a creative, curious, agile and innovative web designer to help us tell stories and improve our users’ experience on roanoke.com. We are looking for someone who is comfortable with both interaction/development and visual design to work on roanoke.com, an award-winning site with an established reputation for its multimedia storytelling and innovative environment. You'll take the lead in developing new ways to engage our audience and lead them through our stories online"

3. The Southampton Press in New York seeks a reporter. The job listing states, "One of the nation's best weekly community newspaper groups is seeking bright, enthusiastic, energetic reporters to do it all: beat coverage, breaking news, enterprise stories, features. We need jacks- and jills-of-all-trades--intrepid reporters, government watchdogs, dazzling wordsmiths and solid photographers all rolled into one. When our reporters leave us, they do so with impressive clips and improved skills: we've had our best go on to the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, New York Post, etc."

4. The Sauk Valley News in Illinois seeks a reporter. The job listing states, "You're out of school looking for your first job. Or maybe you've found that first job, but toiling away on the night cops desk at a suburban weekly is not what you thought it would be. You're dedicated, you're energetic and you know you could be writing solid stories with context that give readers the tools to make a difference in their lives. You could be that reporter, if only you were given a shot."

5. The Star Tribune in Minnesota seeks a political reporter. The job listing states, "This position requires collegiality and collaboration with other members of the Capitol Bureau in St. Paul and the Washington Bureau to ensure the Star Tribune’s coverage of politics and government is second to none both in print and online. This reporter needs to be wired to the daily news and also be executing strong enterprise that captures major twists and turns in the state’s political life. This position requires thorough reporting that captures the views of both officials and citizens, and lively writing skills."

Web report card: Chicago Tribune finishes last, Newsday finishes first in innovation

2009-07-06T08:56:00.012-04:00

Note: Each week, Scooping the News selects five U.S. daily newspapers' Web sites and evaluates how well they are performing in three of these five areas used to define innovation. Newspapers with a minimum daily print circulation of 100,000 receive scores. This weekly report card shows who is innovating and who isn't. Innovative newspapers attract online readers.

Scooping the News evaluated the following five newspaper Web sites on their design/navigation, reader presence and evidence of continuous updates. Each newspaper received a score ranging from 1 to 4 based on changes in its Web site from five years ago to present (1 = no change, 2 = limited innovation, 3 = good innovation and 4 = significant innovation). The total of these scores provides an innovation composite score.

1. Daily News: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 2; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 9.

2. New York Post: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 2; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 9.

3. Chicago Tribune: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 2; reader presence = 2; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 8.

4. Newsday: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 3; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 10.

5. The Dallas Morning News: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 2; reader presence = 3; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 9.

To review the five newspapers evaluated last Monday, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated June 22, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated June 15, click here.

Five interviewing skills that still matter

2009-07-03T06:43:00.006-04:00

News spread across the Internet Thursday night of the sad situation at The Washington Post, where they planned to give lobbyists and trade groups private access to reporters in exchange for money. Apparently, these sources would pay money in exchange for off-the-record, conversational meetings with reporters. As soon as Politico.com broke this story, the plan was off.

This pay-for-access-to-reporters scheme is both a horrible concept (these lobbyists already use their money to influence other people) and a terrible threat to the integrity of The Washington Post. The Washington Post did the right thing in deciding to call off this plan, but it shouldn't have taken great reporting by Politico.com for the newspaper's leaders to realize the error of their ways.

In the aftermath of yesterday's disappointing news about one of the nation's biggest daily newspapers, it's important for newspaper reporters and really for all journalists to remember that there are other ways to foster conversations with sources. Whether these conversations are on the record or off, that depends on the arrangement, here are five interviewing skills that still matter in journalism.

1. Whenever possible, conduct interviews face to face. Too many journalists are resorting to e-mail and telephone interviews in story situations where deadlines and locations do permit face-to-face interviews. Face-to-face interviews provide a sense of immediacy, the ability to ask quick follow-up questions, and the chance to really observe a source's response instead of just recording it.

2. Use all available technology to reach sources. Whether it's during the process of setting up an interview or when you're conducting an interview, always remember that you have multiple ways to communicate with someone. Yes, face to face is the best technique. However; face-to-face interviews aren't always possible, and Twitter, Facebook and e-mailing are excellent ways to track down sources.

3. Don't rely solely on a recorder to document quotes. When journalists conduct telephone or face-to-face interviews, there is a tendency to rely solely on recorders to capture the interview. However; the fact that recorders operate on battery power makes them prone to problems, and there is still great importance in documenting interviews by hand. When technology fails you, you'll be happy you took notes.

4. Conduct background research prior to interviews. The worst journalist is an uninformed journalist. Never, ever, enter into an interview without at least some level of prior knowledge about the topic or subject being discussed. At the first sign that a journalist is uninformed, many sources will immediately lose some level of respect for the reporter. Do yourself a favor and actually prepare for interviews.

5. Never stick to a script in an interview. The best interviews are ones where fresh news comes to light because the reporter asked a good question, the source offered a revealing answer, or the journalist realized one of the source's answers warranted a follow-up question. It's good to prepare a basic set of key questions you want to cover in an interview, but always watch for opportunities to further explore answers given by a source.

Newspaper jobs still exist and here are five

2009-07-01T07:41:00.004-04:00

Note: Scooping the News is starting a new series that will appear every Wednesday. This new series will identifty five job openings at U.S. newspapers. This information will demonstrate that newspaper jobs still exist despite all the layoffs, and we will focus on jobs in editing, reporting, designing and photography.

Here are the five U.S. newspaper job openings we decided to highlight this week:

1. The Knoxville News Sentinel in Tennessee seeks an editor. The job listing states, "The Knoxville News Sentinel is looking for a continuous news editor for business and metro. The position is responsible for directing a staff of 25 writers and editors covering business and local news for the print and electronic products of East Tennessee's largest news organization. A successful candidate will have a passion for breaking news and watchdog reporting, absolute integrity and devotion to the tenets of journalism, and at least five years experience managing in a multimedia newsroom."

2. The Sandusky Register in Ohio seeks a sports editor. The job listing states, "Who do we want? We're looking for someone with at least three years (preferably five years) solid experience leading a sports desk who likes the idea of covering 18 area high school sports programs, and a lot of everything else, from little league to bowling. And you'll need to bring that coverage to readers both in print and online."

3. The Dallas Morning News seeks an originating editor. The job listing states, "The Dallas Morning News needs a strong and versatile originating editor to work with a group of experienced business reporters covering local companies and the economy for the Business section, the front page and the Web. The assistant business editor position requires working closely with other business editors, visual departments, production desks, other originating news departments and the Web staff. Applicants should have business journalism experience with a good understanding of the economy, corporate finance and financial markets."

4. The Journal Record in Oklahoma seeks a business writer. The job listing states, "If you can find the people stories behind the balance sheets we'd like to talk to you. The Journal Record, a daily (M-F), statewide business paper has an opening for a business writer. If your idea of a business story is a re-written press release, please don't apply. If you know how to get out from behind your desk with a notebook in your hand and find the great stories no one else is telling, please send your resume and clips ASAP. The right candidate will also be experienced in (or open to learning) some multimedia reporting skills."

5. The Wisconsin State Journal seeks a photojournalist. The job listing states, "Our photographers are well-rounded journalists who are able to think on their feet, understand the stories they shoot and find the photos that help tell those stories. You’ll be expected to bring your own ideas for stories, long-term projects and online content. We’re looking for a team player with a can-do attitude to be part of our talented staff. At least four years daily newspaper experience or equivalent in photojournalism experience is required."

Five metro dailies see big readership drops

2009-06-30T10:09:00.012-04:00

To find out which five U.S. daily newspapers made this month's Scooping the News endangered newspapers list, listen to the first episode of our monthly podcast, The STN Monthly Examiner.

The STN Monthly Examiner -- June 30, 2009

The STN Monthly Examiner

Also, if you haven't already done so, start following Scooping the News on Twitter.

Which daily newspapers performed well on the weekly Web site innovation report card?

2009-06-29T12:37:00.003-04:00

Scooping the News evaluated the following five newspaper Web sites on their design/navigation, reader presence and evidence of continuous updates. Each newspaper received a score ranging from 1 to 4 based on changes in its Web site from five years ago to present (1 = no change, 2 = limited innovation, 3 = good innovation and 4 = significant innovation). The total of these scores provides an innovation composite score.

1. The Denver Post: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 4; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 11.

2. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 2; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 9.

3. The Salt Lake Tribune: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 3; and evidence of continuous updates = 2. Innovation composite score = 8.

4. The Birmingham News: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 2; reader presence = 2; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 8.

5. The Seattle Times: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 1; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 8.

To review the five newspapers evaluated last Monday, click here.

To review the five newspapers evaluated June 15, click here.

Which daily newspapers are the most stable?

2009-06-26T09:29:00.006-04:00

PREVIEW: New No. 1 in June power rankings

2009-06-24T13:34:00.013-04:00

Note: The daily newspaper power rankings appear the last Friday of each month, but we're giving you a little taste of what you can expect Friday from Scooping the News.

There will be a new No. 1 daily newspaper in the power rankings this Friday, as The Wall Street Journal drops from its place at the top down to No. 3. Scooping the News' monthly power rankings for U.S. daily newspapers provide a composite score that takes into account a newspaper's total print and online circulation figures and that newspaper's growth or lack of growth in both areas. A newspaper's composite score reflects both stability in terms of readership base and whether there is growth or a decline in that readership base.

Print circulation figures come from the Audit Bureau of Circulations and online readership figures are reported by Nielsen Online. Scooping the News' formula for calculating a newspaper's composite score is (online readers in millions multiplied by .1) + (percent change in online readers from one year ago divided by 100) + (print readers in millions multiplied by .1) + (percent change in print readers from one year ago divided by 100).

Newspapers are then ranked according to their composite score. The higher the composite score, the higher the newspaper's power ranking. If one newspaper is ranked above another one, the one ranked higher possesses more stable readership and better growth patterns. In essence, the monthly Scooping the News power rankings will reflect which U.S. daily newspapers are performing the best in attracting and keeping both print and online readers.

For the May power rankings, click here. The June power rankings will appear first on YouTube this Friday and then on this blog next week. Click here to watch the video for the May rankings.

Which daily newspapers performed well on the weekly Web site innovation report card?

2009-06-22T08:28:00.009-04:00

Note: Each week, Scooping the News selects five U.S. daily newspapers' Web sites and evaluates how well they are performing in three of these five areas used to define innovation. Newspapers with a minimum daily print circulation of 100,000 receive scores. This weekly report card shows who is innovating and who isn't. Innovative newspapers attract online readers.

Scooping the News evaluated the following five newspaper Web sites on their design/navigation, reader presence and evidence of continuous updates. Each newspaper received a score ranging from 1 to 4 based on changes in its Web site from five years ago to present (1 = no change, 2 = limited innovation, 3 = good innovation and 4 = significant innovation). The total of those scores provides an innovation composite score.

1. The Baltimore Sun: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 4; reader presence = 4; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 12.

2. The Commercial Appeal: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 2; reader presence = 4; and evidence of continuous updates = 2. Innovation composite score = 8.

3. Fresno Bee: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 3; and evidence of continuous updates = 2. Innovation composite score = 8.

4. Houston Chronicle: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 4; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 11.

5. The Oregonian: This is what the Web sites looks like today; and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 1; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 8.

To review the five newspapers evaluated last Monday, click here.

Newspapers must learn what Web consumers want

2009-06-18T10:19:00.004-04:00

When The Baltimore Sun unveiled the new version of its Web site this week, the new layout and features showcased how newspapers are starting to envision a new way of presenting content in an interesting and user friendly manner similar to what's found on highly successful online news sources such as msnbc and CNN. One only needs to see what The Baltimore Sun looked like five years ago to notice the progress.

However; newspapers cannot stop with simply a new Web site design, and they must learn to become more than just electronic copies of their print content with a few blogs and story updates. Readers demand more from online news sources than blogs. Readers want content covering a wide variety of stories with several components to the coverage such as audio, video and the traditional story.

This man (being interviewed by Beet.TV) knows what the modern online news consumer demands from a source. Have newspaper executives figured this out yet?

Talking Points Memo knows a quick way to provide consumers with the world news of the day. If this Web site can do this, why can't newspapers?

Five ways sources try to trick newspaper reporters

2009-06-17T09:28:00.016-04:00

Veteran newspaper reporters know that sources will sometimes claim they've been misquoted, taken out of context or treated unfairly in stories. Sources will also try to pay for favorable coverage or manipulate reporters to serve their own interests. Rookie reporters may just be learning these lessons for the first time. Remembering these lessons can serve reporters well.

The following observations were made during the course of working for four years at a college student newspaper in Ohio, serving as an intern at two weekly newspapers and working three years as a full-time reporter in Georgetown, Ky. Not all sources use these questionable tactics in dealing with reporters. Some do, though, and reporters must not fall victim to these tricks.

1. Some sources will try to place bumper stickers on your car. At a Republican Party fund-raising dinner in 2002 in Georgetown, Ky., representatives of U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell approached people as they walked into the reception hall. These representatives would ask whether people wanted McConnell bumper stickers. The catch: In order to get a bumper sticker, you had to let the representative place it on your car. Needless to say, it is not acceptable for any journalists to place bumper stickers advertising political candidates on their cars.

2. Some sources will try to purchase meals for you in exchange for your vote. During a city council campaign in 2003, a candidate agreed to an interview at a restaurant. Interviews often occur during lunch and dinner meetings at restaurants. In this case, the candidate offered to pay the reporter's lunch bill, as long as the reporter promised to vote for that candidate. The reporter declined the candidate's offer and did not promise to vote for the candidate. It is unacceptable for sources to pay for reporters' meals, and it is illegal for candidates to pay for votes or to attempt to pay for votes.

3. Some sources will always complain that you've misquoted them in stories. During the course of three years spent covering one police department, a police chief always complained that he was misquoted in stories about city commission meetings. The police chief often disagreed with city commissioners and often received complaints about his tactics from city residents. The police chief did not want such disagreements and complaints being printed. His complaints about being misquoted stopped when all meetings started being tape recorded.

4. Some sources will try to purchase you drinks in return for favorable stories. A popular rock band in Athens, Ohio, switched lead singers in early 2001. Prior to switching singers, they were actually being courted by major record labels. Their new singer could not match the vocal range of the prior one, and their first gig with a new frontman bombed. Prior to that gig, the new frontman attempted to purchase beers for a reporter in exchange for favorable coverage. The drink offer was turned down and the singer wasn't happy with the resulting story.

5. Some sources will try to manipulate you into writing stories that advance their agenda. During the summer of 2000, two men started an independent record label in Tennessee. Not only was it important for stories about the label to stay away from being a free advertisement, but it was important to realize that these two men didn't always see eye to eye on business matters. Despite the sources' best efforts to engage in a war of words via quotes given to a reporter, the resulting stories did nothing to help advance their personal agendas.

Five statements newspaper editors shouldn't make

2009-06-16T08:32:00.004-04:00

Newspaper editors often dictate which stories reporters cover and what kind of treatment issues are given. Newspaper editors may suggest sources and angles reporters should consider. Newpaper editors may encourage brainstorming sessions where reporters generate their own story ideas. All of these facts about newspaper editors are well known to anyone in the industry.

However; newspaper editors also routinely make statements that go against all the "fair, balanced reporting" lessons that journalism students learn, and it's important for both people inside and outside of the industry to think about the following examples. What kind of message are these statements sending to young journalists who will lead newspapers in the digital age?

The following statements were heard in newsrooms in Kentucky and Tennessee, and some Scooping the News readers might have heard these sentiments expressed at their newspapers. When it comes to deciding which stories to cover, how to write them and who to interview, should newspaper editors ever make these statements? No. Share your experiences with us.

1. We want the police chief to talk to the newspaper. So, you need to eat at his restaurant. It's a fact that some sources beat reporters rely on will not like the newspaper or the reporter. That's not important. It's been said in journalism that if everyone likes you, then you're not doing your job. A source's approval of a story, reporter or newspaper is not necessary and is not at all important. Cultivating sources is important. Giving money to a source's side business just to get that source to talk with you is wrong. Editors should never order this. The end of this story is that the chief started granting more interviews, but could never be reached for stories that in any way appeared critical of the police department.

2. We should do a positive story on the college president because he's influential. Just because a particular source is an influential member of a community, why does that warrant a story? It doesn't. If the source is part of a newsworthy story, then the source is someone you would interview. The bigger problem with this statement is that the newspaper's editor instructed the reporter on what kind of angle to take with the story, and that angle completetely threw "fair, balance reporting" out the window. Why not hold powerful figures accountable with in-depth stories that explore and investigate their job performance? If a source possesses a track record filled with great accomplishments, then the story will be positive on its own.

3. We should do stories on an ongoing story when there is no news because the story sells papers. Ongoing coverage is an important part of journalism and all newspaper Web sites should strive to provide continuous updates on developing stories. That being said, when there really isn't any new news to report, how advantageous is it to produce a story that only recaps prior coverage of an event? If your primary motive for running an update with no news is because you can place the story above the fold with a big headline that will get readers to purchase the newspaper, then you are getting so desperate to boost print revenue that you're trying to trick readers into spending their money for nothing new.

4. We can't question one of the city's proposed projects because the newspaper's owner supports it. It's a sad state of affairs when newspapers cannot hold the government accountable for how money is spent because newspaper owners support proposed projects that would cost taxpayers millions of dollars. Sometimes newspapers completely forget why they became important in the first place -- to inform readers and to hold the government accountable. Newspaper owners should never become so supportive of government leaders' initiatives and proposals that it becomes forbidden for reporters to write stories that in any way question those initiatives and proposals. Readers deserve fair and balanced reporting.

5. We will continue to photograph twisted metal even though our readers don't like it. When newspapers started noticing major declines in their print revenue, many of them began conducting reader surveys in an effort to determine what consumers wanted and what they didn't want from newspapers. The problem is that not all newspapers really considered readers' preferences and instead continued to maintain the status quo. Now these same newspapers are laying off staff, reducing the size of their product and even cutting back the number of days they publish a print edition. If readers say they don't want to see pictures of "twisted metal" (aka car wrecks), then maybe you shouldn't print them.

Which daily newspapers are the most innovative?

2009-06-15T09:14:00.015-04:00

Editor's Note: Each week, Scooping the News will select five U.S. daily newspapers' Web sites and evaluate how well they are performing in three of these five areas used to define innovation. Newspapers with a minimum daily print circulation of 100,000 will receive scores. This will show who is innovating and who isn't. Innovative newspapers attract online readers.

Scooping the News evaluated the following five newspaper Web sites on their design/navigation, reader presence and evidence of continuous updates. Each newspaper received a score ranging from 1 to 4 based on changes in their Web sites from five years ago to present (1 = no change, 2 = limited innovation, 3 = good innovation and 4 = significant innovation). The total of those scores provides an innovation composite score.

1. Lexington Herald-Leader: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 2; reader presence = 3; and evidence of continuous updates = 2. Innovation composite score = 7.

2. Knoxville News Sentinel: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 4; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 11.

3. The Miami Herald: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 4; reader presence = 3; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 11.

4. Los Angeles Times: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 2; and evidence of continuous updates = 2. Innovation composite score = 7.

5. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 2; reader presence = 2; and evidence of continuous updates = 2. Innovation composite score = 6.

Which newspaper sites are the most innovative?

2009-06-12T21:28:00.005-04:00

Scooping the News will begin a new weekly feature starting Monday where we grade U.S. daily newspapers' Web sites in five areas used to measure innovation. Newspapers with a minimum print circulation of 100,000 will receive scores. This new feature will show which newspapers are leading the way in the online arena and which ones are lagging behind.

STN Follower of the Month -- Scott Faldon

2009-06-11T21:50:00.004-04:00

Editor's Note: Scooping the News features one of our followers every month. The only requirement is that the individual must be a follower of Scooping the News. Click here to become one.

This month's follower would be willing to pay access fees for some online content, and he would even up the amount he's willing to pay for ad-free pages!

Follower of the Month: Scott Faldon
Occupation: Sports editor
Blog/Web Site: www.swtimes.com

Why I would or wouldn't be willing to pay online newspaper access fees: I honestly don't know. The journalist in me screams "Yes, of course!" The part of me that balances the checkbook, however, asks, "How much and what do I get for the money?" That's the balancing act newspapers have to perfect if we want to charge for online content. Being in fly-over country, I'd be willing to pay for online access to some of the big nationals since I can't get them off the rack. But I don't know if our local readers would be willing to pay for coverage of city board meetings and high school football games. As with most media questions, I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all answer. Also, if I'm going to be charged for online access, I'd be willing to pay extra for ad-free pages.

Favorite non-newspaper online news source:

How about a top five? In no particular order ...

1. CNN.com - Automatic go-to site when breaking news happens.
2. news.bbc.co.uk - I like the overseas perspective of world events.

3. Deadspin - It's juvenile, snarky, vicious. It invariably makes me laugh and provides links to stories I haven't seen.

4. Fark.com - Like Deadspin, it always tips me to stories I'd have otherwise missed.

5. mondesishouse.blogspot.com - Essential Steelers, Penguins and Pirates information and humor.

Three celebrities I would most like to interview: Charles Pierce, Chris Jones, AJ Jacobs - They aren't celebrities, unless you're an Esquire subscriber. But I'd rather discuss writing with them than ask Jon & Kate if they're getting divorced or staging everything for ratings. I think those three are some of the best writers currently working. I have yet to read anything by them that I haven't enjoyed and that hasn't made me think "Geez, this guy is damn good." Plus, I think I could get one of them buy a few rounds. If forced to choose actual celebrities, I'd probably go with Jimmy Buffett, Harrison Ford and Tom Brokaw. The interviews would take place while standing in knee-deep water while casting dry flies at whatever fish are available.

Favorite Web site (other than Scooping the News): SportsJournalists.com - The regulars will be upset I've mentioned the place as they seem to hate publicity. It is a rough-and-tumble message board that somehow manages to be the closest thing to a newspaperman's bar that you'll find on the Web. I know a lot of people hate the site, but it's helped me become a better SE. I've made friends with people across the nation I'd have never met at the APSE convention. They've given me advice on a multitude of issues as I've learned to be the boss. Writer's Workshop and the page design threads are excellent. When I've had openings, I've gotten more responses via the SJ jobs board than through sites where I paid for ads.

The lead in a story about me: Scott Faldon will cringe when reading this, because it's about him. (Geez, can I get a rewrite?)

Thanks, Scott! We're happy with your choice of celebrities. If you're ever lucky enough to interview Tom Brokaw, can you have him contact Scooping the News?

VIDEO: Times Co. to request bids for Boston Globe

2009-06-10T22:57:00.000-04:00

USA Today's paid e-edition to launch in August; Scooping the News predicted move in May

2009-06-10T13:42:00.004-04:00

USA Today Publisher David Hunke announced today that the national newspaper will begin offering a paid electronic edition Aug. 3, reports Jennifer Saba of Editor & Publisher. Few details concerning this paid digital product exist at present. To read Saba's story about USA Today's big announcement, click here.

This announcement today in New York means one of Scooping the News' five predictions for the newspaper industry in 2009 is coming true. Last month, we predicted USA Today "would either charge customers for access to some areas of its Web site or have a plan in place to start doing so in 2010." Hunke first hinted at such a move in this article.

At the time Scooping the News issued our bold predictions for the industry this year, we received e-mails that expressed doubt over whether any of the predictions would come true. While the jury is still out on four of the five predictions, today's news confirms at least one of them is coming true.

One last note for today: If you haven't already checked out this great meeting place for journalists and people interested in journalism, you should visit The E&P Pub. The Web site, launched in September 2008, provides industry news, videos, commentaries and discussion questions. It is somewhat similar to the news cafe idea we discussed in February.

Find out which daily newspapers are losing readers

2009-06-09T16:48:00.004-04:00

Scooping the News measures the print and online readership stability of U.S. daily newspapers in our power rankings released the fourth Friday of every month. We also release a list of the five newspapers that ranked the lowest of all U.S. daily newspapers with circulations of at least 250,000. Starting June 30, you will need to go here first to find out which five newspapers ranked the lowest.

The STN Monthly Examiner, Scooping the News' podcast, will premiere June 30 and on the last weekday of every month thereafter. Host Jeanne M. Hartman will announce the five newspapers that ranked the lowest with details concerning each newspaper's stability. Scooping the News predicts that one of the five newspapers will be the next major U.S. metro daily to shut down or go online only.

Also, starting this month the monthly power rankings top 10 will be released first on YouTube. The first episode of Scooping the News on YouTube premiered May 29 and episode two will be released June 26. The day before that second episode is released, you can get a preview of the latest monthly power rankings here at www.scoopingthenews.com.

We are excited to announce the upcoming premiere of The STN Monthly Examiner, and we would like to thank you for reading Scooping the News. Weekday readership jumped 88 percent in May compared to the previous month. In fact, more people read Scooping the News last month than ever before. To learn about all the latest newspaper industry developments, follow us on Twitter.

Craigslist founder on his impact on newspapers

2009-06-08T22:22:00.003-04:00

We found this video on Fitz & Jen, an outstanding blog about the business side of the newspaper industry. Editor & Publisher's Editor-at-Large Mark Fitzgerald and Associate Editor Jennifer Saba do a great job exploring an area with a tremendous impact on the future of newspapers. Andy Plesser, founder and CEO of Beet.TV, conducted the interview shown in the video above last Wednesday.

Five daily newspapers lose print and Web readers

2009-06-05T15:09:00.009-04:00

Today we examine five metro daily newspapers featured in our first YouTube episode as publications lacking stable readership both online and in print. All five of these newspapers are losing print readers and seeing drops in online readership. The five newspapers are the San Francisco Chronicle, The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Dallas Morning News, The Atlanta Journal Constitution and the Chicago Sun-Times.

What follows are brief recaps of recent industry news involving these five newspapers that are performing poorly according to our monthly power rankings system. Scooping the News is not saying all five newspapers will shut down or go online only. Instead, we are predicting that one of these five newspapers will become the nation's next big metro daily to close or move to an online-only format.

1. San Francisco Chronicle (a Hearst newspaper) -- Hearst is in the process of trying to figure out whether online access fees can save the newspaper. This comes after an announcement by Hearst that the newspaper may close or be sold unless it can cut expenses. Earlier this year, stories appeared about this newspaper maybe going the non-profit route. That fad is over.

2. The Philadelphia Inquirer (a Philadelphia Newspapers, LLC publication) -- Much like the big three automakers in Detroit operated up until recently, this newspaper is giving its executives big-time bonuses and wondering why it's experiencing such massive financial problems. This newspaper's owner spent part of this year in bankruptcy court.

3. Dallas Morning News (an A.H. Belo newspaper) -- This newspaper's owner is laying off employees and cutting the salaries of those that remain. Former Dallas Morning News reporters are now applying for jobs at weeklies, which is opposite from the path many journalists used to take in their newspaper careers. Weeklies used to see their reporters leave for jobs at dailies.

4. The Atlanta Journal Constitution (a Cox Newspapers, Inc. publication) -- This newspaper announced earlier this spring that its cutting 30 percent of its full-time news staff and ending distribution to at least seven counties. This newspaper recently kicked off a new marketing campaign that says its superior to local media. How will this increase readers and revenue?

5. Chicago Sun-Times (a Sun-Times Media Group newspaper) -- This newspaper's owner is also in Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Newspaper employees are seeing their wages cut and participating in unpaid furlough days. The bottom line is this newspaper is losing readers and advertising dollars to other online news sources.

The best newspaper Web sites' five common traits

2009-06-04T20:16:00.004-04:00

Five traits define the best daily newspaper Web sites. When the five traits discussed below are present on newspaper Web sites, readership numbers increase by substantial amounts. With the end of print as the primary format for newspapers arriving soon, publications wishing to survive must present an innovative product online that incorporates both in-depth content and several opportunities for readers to participate in the news gathering and discussion process.

Many newspaper editors and reporters follow Scooping the News on Twitter. We hope they incorporate the five traits discussed below, if they're not already doing so, on their Web sites. The newspapers performing the best in our monthly power rankings, which measure readership stability and growth, incorporate these five key traits. Scooping the News previously commented on five ways newspaper Web sites must change. Now we show how to make those changes.

1. Newspaper Web sites must be easy to navigate. If readers cannot easily identify and locate the stories and features that interest them, they will spend little time on the Web site and will seek out other online news sources. The Web sites of two daily newspapers -- USA Today and Miami Herald -- demonstrate how a good presentation improves the overall product.

2. Newspaper Web sites must have easily accessible archives. First, newspapers must give their archives a prominent location on their main page. Second, newspapers must provide user friendly search options that enable readers to track down the stories and information they need and want. The Washington Post and The New York Times excel in this area.

3. Newspaper Web sites must have a strong reader presence. The Internet gives the public the ability to join conversations. Readers are no longer limited to letters to the editor. They can participate in discussions taking place online. While the Lexington Herald-Leader needs a new design for its Web site, at least the newspaper gave a reader his own blog.

4. Newspaper Web sites must have in-depth reporting. Although presentation is a key part of how well newspaper Web sites perform in terms of attracting and keeping readers, providing content that showcases in-depth reporting and strong writing is just as important. The Wall Street Journal does exactly this, and people are willing to pay for access to its site.

5. Newspaper Web sites must cover the news around the clock. Breaking news is a key element of any newspaper Web site that even hopes to compete with the top online news sources such as msnbc and CNN.com. Breaking news must be visible near the top of the site's main page and such stories must be regularly updated. Readers expect the latest news immediately.

Coming Thursday and Friday on Scooping the News

2009-06-03T08:25:00.003-04:00

First, we'll have "Great newspaper Web sites' five traits" on Thursday, which will establish the standards all newspapers should adopt as they move closer to an online-only format. Then, we'll have an in-depth analysis of the five metro dailies we consider on the brink of shutting down or going online only next in our Friday edition. To learn more about those five newspapers, click here.

What is Scooping the News? Find out right now.

2009-06-02T10:03:00.000-04:00

Four big changes coming to Scooping the News

2009-05-30T20:43:00.005-04:00

Several weeks ago, we hinted that major changes would take place this summer here at Scooping the News. One major change -- our expansion onto YouTube -- started taking shape Friday with this video. Another major change -- the presence of a search option -- debuted this evening in the top sidebar on the right side of Scooping the News' main page.

Two other major changes will take place this summer on Scooping the News, and we would like to tell you a little bit about them. These will not be the last changes to occur on Scooping the News -- since we strive for constant growth and innovation -- but these moves toward providing more original content will dominant most of our summer work.

First, we will provide more in-depth commentaries on the newspaper industry in our daily blog. There will still be plenty of industry news and links to relevant reports, but we will also provide our own thoughts and opinions about the various issues shaping the future of newspapers. You can expect to see more of our entries with lists. Readership surges when such entries appear.

Second, we will continue to work on our monthly power rankings of U.S. daily newspapers -- the one feature that sets us apart from all other blogs. Not only will these rankings appear on the fourth Friday of every month, but Scooping the News readers will get an expanded look at these rankings that will only be available on YouTube. The rankings shed light on the industry's future.

Thanks for reading Scooping the News, thanks for following us on Twitter, and finally, thanks to all of you for watching episode one of Scooping the News on YouTube.

The newspapers in danger of going out of print

2009-05-29T14:43:00.003-04:00

Today marks the debut of Scooping the News on YouTube. This feature will showcase our power rankings for U.S. daily newspapers published each month, which reflect which newspapers are performing the best in attracting and keeping readers both online and in print. May's rankings can be found here, but only on the video below can you see a list of newspapers most likely to shut down or go online only next.

Scooping the News' YouTube channel debuts today

2009-05-29T07:34:00.006-04:00

Scooping the News' channel on YouTube will debut this afternoon with a recap of this month's daily newspaper power rankings and with a special feature available only on YouTube. Below is a recap of this month's power rankings. All U.S. daily newspapers with a print circulation of at least 250,000 are ranked, and we announce the top 10 the fourth Friday of every month.

May Power Rankings -- Top 10 Daily U.S. Newspapers

1. The Wall Street Journal (3.06)
2. The New York Times (1.63)
3. USA Today (1.46)
4. The Star-Ledger (1.19)
5. The Washington Post (1.16)
6. New York Daily News (1.15)
7. Los Angeles Times (1.02)
8. Detroit Free Press (0.87)
9. The Boston Globe (0.81)
10. Chicago Tribune (0.71)

Scooping the News' monthly power rankings for U.S. daily newspapers provide a composite score that takes into account a newspaper's total print and online circulation figures and that newspaper's growth or lack of growth in both areas. A newspaper's composite score reflects both stability in terms of readership base and whether there is growth or a decline in that readership base.

Newspapers are then ranked according to their composite score. The higher the composite score, the higher the newspaper's power ranking. If one newspaper is ranked above another one, the one ranked higher possesses more stable readership and better growth patterns. In essence, the monthly Scooping the News power rankings reflect which U.S. daily newspapers are performing the best in attracting and keeping both print and online readers.

5 reasons online advertising won't save newspapers

2009-05-28T10:48:00.005-04:00

Print newspapers always relied on advertising as their primary source of revenue -- not circulation -- and the Internet effectively put an end to print advertising. Companies wanted a more immediate and more innovative advertisement, and they wanted to reach as large an audience as possible. The Internet answers all their needs. Print newspapers can no longer compete for advertising dollars. Yet, some industry executives still see advertising as a key. They're wrong.

When it comes to advertising with news organizations, companies shifted their advertising efforts from print to online during the last decade. This shift left print newspapers without a much-needed source of revenue, because the money brought in from advertising paid the salaries of both the reporters and the crews needed to operate printing presses. Newspapers realized they needed to improve their Web sites and make up for the loss in print advertising revenue.

Although newspapers improved the quality of their online ventures during the last decade, a new problem emerged in online advertising. Online advertising depends on the number of clicks an ad receives on a Web site. The more clicks an advertisement receives on a Web site, the more money is made by the company advertising a product. If visitors don't click on ads, companies don't make money. If companies don't make money, they're less likely to advertise. Thus, online news sites are less likely to bring in revenue via advertising.

Online advertising revenue won't save newspapers from going online-only or shutting down. Online advertising revenue isn't going to prevent more layoffs, salary cuts or bankruptcy filings. Online advertising revenue isn't going to save the newspaper industry. How do online news sites such as msnbc.com, FOXNews.com and CNN.com thrive? For one, they get advertising dollars from television efforts. Newspapers don't have that. Newspapers must downsize their print efforts, improve their online products and find new ways to raise revenue.

Here are five key pieces of evidence that prove that online advertising revenue isn't going to save the newspaper industry:

1. Newspaper readers no longer have to flip through pages of advertisements to find stories that interest them. This means advertisers no longer have "a captive audience," as this outstanding article in BusinessWeek notes. The biggest challenge in online advertising is to get readers to actually click on an advertisement.

2. Charging readers fees to access online stories is working at newspapers, and it's guaranteed money instead of hoping for clicks. The Wall Street Journal is proving that charging access fees will not lead to a decrease in readers. Several newspaper chains are going to adopt fees later this year because they realize advertising isn't going to provide a boost.

3. Google and Craigslist are now the leaders in advertising and newspapers are unable to compete with these two Web giants. As this research-based article in The Business Insider correctly notes, the rise of Google and Craigslist spelled the end for the newspaper industry's days of being able to operate based primarily on advertising revenue.

4. The numbers don't lie: It's a fact that companies are spending less and less money each year on newspaper advertisements. This advertising expenditure data from the Newspaper Association of America demonstrates how much revenue is declining each year. This data is a clear indication of why the future of advertising revenue for newspapers is bleak.

5. Advertisements on newspaper Web sites often leave those who actually do click on them very disappointed. Read about this blogger's experience at The Future of Print, and think about your own experiences. You may never have clicked on an advertisement, or maybe you've clicked on one and never want to do so again.

Five predictions for newspaper industry (update)

2009-05-27T09:12:00.003-04:00

Almost one month ago, Scooping the News announced our five predictions for the U.S. newspaper industry in 2009. We received e-mails about our prediction that Denver will still be home to an online-only newspaper when 2010 rolls around. E-mailers said no online-only effort would last in Denver. Looks like they're wrong; there may be two online-only efforts.

Today we revisit our five predictions, which can always be accessed under Scooping the News Features to the right of this blog post. Let's see how close some of these predictions are to coming true and how far off we might be with others.

1. USA Today, which stands to soon become the nation's No. 2 most circulated paper behind The Wall Street Journal, will either charge customers for access to some areas of its Web site or have a plan in place to start doing so in 2010. In the last three weeks, both News Corp. and McClatchy have announced plans to start using micropayments on their newspapers' Web sites. We still feel USA Today will do the same.

2. Despite InDenverTimes.com not meeting its subscription goals, Denver will still be home to an online-only daily newspaper when 2010 rolls around. Not only is InDenverTimes.com sticking around, but more ex-Rocky Mountain News staffers are launching the online-only Rocky Mountain Independent this summer. Whether you call these online-only efforts newspapers or magazines, they are one and the same -- online news sources.

3. With Senate hearings on the future of newspapers scheduled to begin May 6, the federal government will offer some sort of bailout plan this year for newspapers. Now that the stock market is improving, real estate is improving and the publicity from the Senate hearing on newspapers has died down, we no longer see the government stepping up and helping to preserve the nation's newspaper industry. The bailout craze is ending.

4. The Lexington Herald-Leader, which has already endured three rounds of layoffs in the last year, will again experience yet another round of layoffs later this year. We still believe this will happen. Even bigger changes may come about at the newspaper. Unfortunately for Scooping the News readers, we will not comment on what those bigger changes might be at this time. We'll provide you the latest news as soon as it happens, though.

5. You will not see any other metro dailies try out what the Chicago Tribune realized was a massive mistake -- let readers review outlines of unpublished stories. This prediction is coming true. No other metro dailies have launched such an effort since the Tribune's debacle. The Tribune deserves credit for being one of the most innovative newspapers -- even if it sometimes fails -- and it's ranked No. 7 in our power rankings.

Newspapers to study Twitter to boost ad revenue?

2009-05-26T00:03:00.004-04:00

New Web phenom reduces need for television set

2009-05-23T18:03:00.002-04:00

WSJ ranks #1 in readership stability, growth

2009-05-22T07:12:00.011-04:00

Editor's Note: The U.S. daily newspaper power rankings will appear the last Friday of each month. Newspapers are ranked according to their composite score in parenthesis.

May Power Rankings -- Top 10 Daily U.S. Newspapers

1. The Wall Street Journal (3.06)
2. The New York Times (1.63)
3. USA Today (1.46)
4. The Star-Ledger (1.19)
5. The Washington Post (1.16)
6. New York Daily News (1.15)
7. Los Angeles Times (1.02)
8. Detroit Free Press (0.87)
9. The Boston Globe (0.81)
10. Chicago Tribune (0.71)

PREVIEW: WSJ #1 in newspaper power rankings

2009-05-21T16:43:00.006-04:00

Editor's Note: This update will appear the last Friday of each month, but we're giving you a little taste of what you can expect in tomorrow's edition of Scooping the News.

Scooping the News' monthly power rankings for U.S. daily newspapers provide a composite score that takes into account a newspaper's total print and online circulation figures and that newspaper's growth or lack of growth in both areas. A newspaper's composite score reflects both stability in terms of readership base and whether there is growth or a decline in that readership base.

Print circulation figures come from the Audit Bureau of Circulations and online readership figures are reported by Nielsen Online. Scooping the News' formula for calculating a newspaper's composite score is (online readers in millions multiplied by .1) + (percent change in online readers from one year ago divided by 100) + (print readers in millions multiplied by .1) + (percent change in print readers from one year ago divided by 100).

Newspapers are then ranked according to their composite score. The higher the composite score, the higher the newspaper's power ranking. If one newspaper is ranked above another one, the one ranked higher possesses more stable readership and better growth patterns. In essence, the monthly Scooping the News power rankings will reflect which U.S. daily newspapers are performing the best in attracting and keeping both print and online readers.

In the first-ever Scooping the News power rankings published online Friday, The Wall Street Journal will be ranked No. 1 with a composite score of 3.06. This should come as no surprise to Scooping the News readers, since we've published several blog posts in the past month noting how The Wall Street Journal is growing both in print and online readership. For the complete power rankings, read Scooping the News on Friday.

Bob Woodward's take on future of newspapers!

2009-05-20T11:08:00.003-04:00

Five ways layoffs, low revenue hurting newspapers

2009-05-19T09:22:00.002-04:00

Many newspapers across the country are on the brink of one of three fates: (1) They are preparing to reduce the number of days they print the newspaper each week; (2) they are bracing for an online-only future without any kind of printed product; or (3) they are on the verge of shutting down.

Prior to reaching one of those three fates, newspapers are enduring as many rounds of budget cuts, job layoffs and size reductions as possible. That is resulting in metro dailies with poor editing (even in their editorials), wire stories occupying 75 percent of the story space, and the elimination of features that actually made newspapers a product you retained for a day or two.

The following are five ways newspapers are hurting from budget cuts and reductions in staff. These are apparent in many newspapers across the country and you could probably find examples of these effects in your own printed edition this morning. It's almost become a game to look for the most glaring editing mistakes.

1. The lack of quality editing is apparent every day in print newspapers. Unfortunately, budget cuts are hitting editing departments in a manner that is significantly damaging the quality of the final printed product. It's easy to correct mistakes online, but errors in the printed product are left for everyone to notice. When major and easy-to-catch mistakes appear, it hurts a newspaper's reputation. This example of The Baltimore Sun firing 61 editors is is similar to actions being taken by other newspapers. Also, read about how 75 percent of U.S. editors acknowledge that layoffs are affecting the quality of journalism.

2. The lack of staff-written news stories leaves nothing but generic wire clips. Try this: Every day go through your newspaper and locate all the news stories (don't include columns). Next, check the bylines and see how many list a wire service only or a wire service below the reporter's name. Count and compare the number of wire stories to staff-written copy. You'll find 75 percent of the news stories come from wires, meaning we're all getting the same generic content you could find anywhere on the Web. One newspaper is going against that trend. Also, read about how the loss of beat reporters will impact other news sources.

3. The shrinking size of print newspapers means we're spending less time reading them. And if we're spending less time reading it, that means the newspaper is having less of an impact on its audience. Slowly but surely, subscribers will realize they can save their money. Instead of buying a shrinking product, they can go online and get their news for free. The less time one spends with a newspaper, the less important it may become in the reader's mind. Forbes.com calls this phenomenon "The Incredible Shrinking Newspaper."

4. The reduction and elimination of sections means less information is provided. Have you tried finding the business section in your print newspaper recently? Here's a hint: It will probably be just one page buried in the back of a section such as sports. The sad result of smaller newspapers is that we are left with less sections, less stories and ultimately, less information. It becomes less of a newspaper and more like a paper advertisement for the news. Think about that. Look at your newspaper. It still has a masthead. It still has reporters. Yet you're being directed to the Web for more news, blogs and those stock reports you used to see in print. Here is why business sections might still be important.

5. The disappearance of movie show times means newspapers go into the recycling bin quicker. This morning, no movie show times appeared with the movie listings in the printed version of the Lexington Herald-Leader. Instead, one-eighth of a page is filled with a huge box listing all the movies showing at eight theaters in the Lexington metropolitan area. A message at the bottom reads, "Times and shows vary. Please call theatres for complete listings and times." Why print a list of the movies being shown if you're not going to print the times? If you print the times, then people may hang on to the printed edition a bit longer. Read how newspapers are no longer providing "social currency" such as movie show times.

Debunking "Kindle will save newspapers" theory

2009-05-18T10:28:00.004-04:00

When Amazon recently debuted their larger version of the Kindle designed specifically for better newspaper and magazine reading, several reports published online and in print viewed Kindle as a solution of sorts for the newspaper industry's problems. Many of these reports considered the Kindle one of these buzz devices guaranteed to bring back old readers and attract new ones.

This "Kindle will save newspapers" theory explains since news consumers prefer portable, electronic reading devices (laptops, iPhones, etc.) over traditional formats such as printed publications, then one can predict that newspapers will attract groups of readers who prefer to consume such news on their Kindle. If that prediction comes true, then revenue will jump, right?

Wrong. You see the Kindle is not going to be a big revenue generator for newspapers. Why? Because Amazon takes a 70 percent cut of all money generated through newspaper subscriptions on the Kindle. Yes, you guessed it. That leaves newspapers with just 30 percent. As Editors Weblog points out here, The New York Times only gets $4.20 out of a $14 monthly subscription.

If you're wondering, it only costs $1.99 a month to subscribe to Scooping the News on your Amazon Kindle. Click here for more information about that.

NY Times Web traffic down, Wall Street Journal up

2009-05-17T21:38:00.005-04:00

Editor & Publisher released its list of the top 30 most visited U.S. newspaper Web sites for the month of April earlier today, and according to statistics reported by Nielsen Online, the biggest news is that traffic on The Wall Street Journal's Web site is up 160 percent from last April. The newspaper remained in second place with 12.4 million unique visitors in April.

The most visited U.S. newspaper Web site belonged to The New York Times yet again with 16.5 million unique visitors last month, but that marks an 8 percent decrease in traffic from the same time a year ago. Rounding out the top five most visited U.S. newspaper Web sites are USA TODAY, The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times.

For the complete top 30 list, click here. Also, remember you can always find a link to the latest list under the Newspaper Resources section on Scooping the News' main page.

1981 online newspaper report: "We're not in it to make money," said San Francisco reporter

2009-05-17T06:33:00.004-04:00

Eight years before America Online became the first widespread U.S. Internet service provider and 17 years before Google launched, this California television station broadcasted a report on two San Francisco newspapers launching online editions.

VIDEO: Journalists will survive newspaper decline

2009-05-16T08:10:00.002-04:00