Thursday, February 2, 2012

A time lapse video of people walking and sitting in a newsroom

The Grand Rapids Press put up some photos of its first day, which included a time lapse video that shows reporters and, I assume advertising folks, sitting at desks, standing up, walking around and otherwise working.

Link to online chat about the new format

Here's a link to the replay of the online chat this morning with the new community engagement whatever they call an editor these days.

New, and improved, MLive.com

Here's a link to the new MLive.com.  Also here is a link to the Flint page. I'm going to reserve comment until I negotiate it a little and see how easy it is to use and what the quality of news is. One thing should be for sure, it can't be any worse than the old site.

Monday, January 30, 2012

What becomes of the Flint Journal library? And the buildings?

One of the things I was most impressed with when I came to the Flint Journal in 1989 was the extensive paper and photo library maintained in the newsroom.

It was an incredible resource that slowly withered as people were laid off and the morgue converted to a computer file.

Quite a few of the 'veterans' have wondered to me, both in person and by e-mail, what is to become of all that impotant history. The short answer is, I don't know.

One would hope that maybe someone from the local historical society or library would move in and take care of the newspaper library.

A former editor, now long retired, saved a bunch of old photos when a previous regime wanted them all tossed in the dumpster.

Here's another 'rumor' being circulated to me by e-mail based on "informed sources," which admittedly I don't know personally.

The word is that the Mott Foundation is planning, or in negotiations, to purchase all the current Flint Journal property with plans to hand it over to Michigan State University for use in the medical school.

Again, to be clear, this has been sent to me twice from folks who remain close to those still at the Journal.
Feel free to chime in.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Kalamazoo readers chime in on changes

A story on the new job obtained by the former Kalamazoo editor prompted some back and forth between the reporter and readers on her story.