Jeff Jarvis: Newspapers vs. Digital: We win, you lose

Here's some thoughts on the future of newspapers by Jeff Jarvis.

FJ looking for full-time reporter

There's an opening for a full-time reporter at my old employer.

A discussion of the 'new' journalism

Follow this link to a online discussion on the Lucy Ann Lance Show (WLBY 1290) with Larry Eiler, Eiler Communications; and Charles Eisendrath, Director of the University of Michigan Knight-Wallace Fellows / Former Foreign Correspondent for Time Magazine.

It is about a 40-minute discussion of the status of journalism and journalism education today. As the timer counts down at about 24:30 you will hear a critique of AnnArbor.com and later a defense of print journalism. At about 4:30 there is an additional critique of Newhouse and AnnArbor.com.

When you get to the page at the above link you'll need to scroll down to the April 19, 2011 item and click on the "Click and Listen" tab.

Pulitzer Prize awarded to old fashioned beat reporting

The LA Times won a well-deserved Pulitzer for its work on the Bell, California public employee salary scandal. In its coverage of the prize, Poynter describe the various interactive tools used by the reporters to enhance the story.

What is interesting to me is that many of us suggested to our FJ leaders more than ten years ago that we should use the Internet and website to post the many documents that we were obtaining in investigations. So many times, we gathered information that was interesting, but simply too extensive to use in the printed version of the story.

I know that I had a direct discussion with the current content czar at AnnArbor.com about how we should make those documents available to our readers when we were first discussing how to use the Internet in the early 2000s.

Other reporters had similar suggestions, but what we heard back at the time is that MLive.com was not set up to do that kind of thing. The Michigan Booth group suffered, and continues to suffer, from the limitations of MLive.com and the fact that they can't, or won't, do the kind of linking and attachments that you find on other more sophisticated newspaper websites.

So the same ideas many of us were suggesting back then contributed to a Pulitzer at the Times this week.

Oops, maybe we should have disclosed this conflict of interest a little earlier

If you saw the 60 Minutes piece on Greg Mortenson and his alleged charity rip-off you will appreciate his hometown paper finally acknowledging that one of its editors had a direct connection to the charity.

Here's the Bozeman newspaper's coverage of the controversy after the 60 Minutes piece.

I really love college journalism

Some innovative students found a way around a college directive.

Sometimes only the printed word gets out

From Poynter comes this article about how reporters got the news out when technology was wiped out in an earthquake and tsunami. Contrast that to the time in Flint when it snowed a lot and the publisher made the decision to suspend publishing for a day.

The haves get their "haves" while the "nots" get theirs

This from Gannett about the "shared" sacrifice of top management with their employees.

Wonder what that 'buyout' cost?

The Advance trial on the "job pledge" ended in a confidential negotiated settlement. You know that Advance didn't want to lose that case on its merits. Too many potential suits in that case. Before the settlement there was some juicy testimony that gives a little insight into some of the perks of the "haves" in the Advance family of publishers.

Job pledge suit reveals a lot about Advance

From the mailbag comes this al.com story about a former publisher's suit against Advance Publications. It is an interesting read, including the amount of pay that the publisher received (and continues to receive in retirement) compared to the folks he supervised. You have to believe that Advance didn't want to have that information out. Glad the Press-Register is covering their own story, however. Here's a little more information from another source.

USA Today to give bonus based on "hits"

There is so much wrong from a journalistic standpoint with the idea of rewarding writers for the number of Internet "hits," but I don't have time to list them all now. Sensationalism and relevance come to mind just off the top of my head. Writers should be rewarded, and much better than they are now, but not based on this. (Attribution note: I found this link on Facebook, but can't remember who or when)

Gazette reaches settlement in tax issue

The cost of downsizing apparently was $1.5 million in Kalamazoo. And, surprise, surprise, the paper couldn't reach its own publisher for a comment for its own story. Update: Thanks to an FFE reader we now have the full written statement of the publisher. As a reporter you dislike written responses for comments because there is no chance to ask follow up or other relevant questions of the source. Interesting that a publisher avoids that interchange with his own reporter.

Crime doesn't pay, especially when you create the stories you cover

From time to time you hear about stories where reporters become the story.

Publishers: Stick a fork it in it, publishing is over

This from Reflections of a Newsosaur about a couple publishers who believe the old newspaper model is toast.

Comments become news

One of the troubling aspects of the "new" journalism to me is the idea that the comments on a story are as important as the story itself. It appears that when a story receives many - or outrageous - comments that newspapers believe that becomes news. At my old paper they repost an item on MLive.com that deals just with the comments. In a recent case a story about the increase in the African-American population in Swartz Creek suddenly required a repost when commenters turned the story into a chance to recycle racist stereotypes in the comment thread. You can see what I am talking about here. (Link no longer works - April 14, 2011) Some of the comments on MLive.com were taken down but they remain at this site - at least for now. Let me know if they go dark and I remove the link. To see all the comments click on the "here" link at the bottom of the item above.

AnnArbor.com finally responds to layoffs

The three leaders of AnnArbor.com have come forward (partially) to update the community on their recent layoffs, etc.

It's amazing to me that they needed a year-and-a-half to find out that what people want is crime and breaking local news. Any first year journalism student could probably tell you that, but better late than never.

Keep the comments on the topic and not so much the personalities. Thanks.

Tone down alert

I reluctantly deleted a comment today (one of less than 10 since I began). I've been a little lax lately about the no last names rule, but when the comments get too personal it crosses my line.

Feel free to attack me, or disagree with me, but anonymous comments that take on folks who are not the subject of the post cross my imaginary line.

Sorry.

Best journalism ad ever (Foul language alert)

Mother Jones reported on this ad for the Sarasota newspaper. If they are serious this would be a great place for a reporter. Especially love they enjoy the sometimes angry interaction between reporters and editors. (Hat tip to Kevin M. for the link).

The best news rooms are the ones where there is a real tension between reporters and editors and the weekly, sometimes verbally violent, flare up between a reporter and his/her editor.

Instead of viewing it as a distraction, as was the case at the Journal, it should be viewed as professionals battling for the best product they can publish. As an editor I would never want a reporter who wouldn't battle hard for their work. (Heck, when I was chief editor of The State News I was at least once referred to - to my face - as a "goat brain" by one of my reporters.)

Newspapers should never discourage or punish passion, they should reward it.

A few of my confrontations were show stopping fits of anger (not really proud of all those) but they were out of my desire to produce the hardest and most interesting story I could.

Better reporters than me were constantly battling editors (and company lawyers) to keep in information they felt vital to the readers. Where that is happening, everyone wins.

Job opportunity

My former employer is looking for an editor. Don't tell them I sent you.

More 'good' publicity for AnnArbor.com

Looks like a choice for an editorial board member has met with a bit of controversy over at AnnArbor.com.

Make sure you read the comments under the AnnArbor.com posting.