Subject: Seat.Times Extra X'd out, but... From: PJacobson@aol.com Date: Thu, 11 Jan 1996 07:43:17 -0500

In a message dated 96-01-08 19:51:29 EST, Fred Schecker  writes:

>Are there places out there where the newsroom and the electronic media
>staff are working in relative harmony? That's the way it should be, but I
>haven't heard a lot that indicates that's the way it is.
>
>

Check out Tribune Online on AOL. Most of the stories come from the same
source editors who pick stories for the printed edition. They know what is
going in the paper, and they can match those with supplemental info supplied
through only the online edition. Even more material comes from the online
staff. I believe San Jose is as tightly integrated, and maybe more so. 
  
As for your other questions:
>>Should newsrooms run or play a significant role in the development of
online news products? Are they capable of creating a new product for a new
market, or will they just treat the web as an electronic method for
distribution?<<

A) Yes, they should play a significant role in online news products.
B:) No, most of them are not capable of creating a new product. 
   I've gotten into this issue before, and in greater detail. I do not know
of any newspaper job that requires the skills of a business entrepreneur,
with the possible exception of publisher. The advertising and marketing
departments might have people with the skills for developing new products,
but historically the ties between newsroom and ad department are as shaky as
those between newsroom and composing room. That is another way of saying that
they greatly distrust one another. Generally, if advertising  or marketing
types would propose a product that would require significant additional
effort from newsroom types, the whole project would collapse. See the answer
to question A for the reason why.
C.) I hope so. The web should be treated as another method of delivering the
news. Sure it is electronic, but it is pretty different from radio and TV.
 Electronically delivered news, using the web, or a BBS ( large or small) CAN
be closer to what the newsroom editor sees on his/her terminal in the
newsroom than what gets printed on paper. Right now that is not the case.
When the general public clamors for the immediacy of news that only a wire
editor is currently priviledged to receive, then I think newspapers will be
happy to deliver that product. 

Paul Jacobson

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From owner-online-news-digest@marketplace.com Thu Jan 11 22:58:42 1996
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