Sie sind auf Seite 1von 15

The American Editor

A me r i c an S o c i e t y o f Ne ws pa p e r Ed i t o r s

Jan ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5

Sunshine Sunday
Making the case for open access

NOTE

FROM

THE

PRESIDENT

THE AMERICAN EDITOR

Ja n ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5

W W W. A S N E . O R G

Are we always journalists?

our ethics. If you heard something at a game or social gathering about a wrongdoing by an official and didnt take it back to the office, you could be creating a problem for yourself and your newspaper. Another question that comes up in my newsroom has to do with what groups, agencies or service clubs you can join. Or, is it OK to become an officer of any organization? I have always been a proponent of staff getting involved in some community activities. Its better that we take an active role than stand on the sidelines. We can sit in our ivory tower and pass judgment, and no one can blame us for a newsworthy action that had a negative effect on the organization. Or should we roll up our sleeves and contribute By K a r l a Ga r r e t t H a r s h aw something to our community, being careful not to overshadow the role of the newspaper? re we always journalists, or, at Its one thing to support times, do we put our notebooks our schools and assist them as We frequently say that aside? m m m m m m m m m m volunteers. Its quite another mWhat about picking up story to become advocates, lead this profession is a calling, ideas? When I worked as a reporter, I liked campaigns and sit on controand to an extent it is. We to go to a nearby restaurant. Many newspaversial committees. Ive always are expected to have cerper people went there as did an assortment had an interest in becoming of people from city and county government. an advocate and making my tain values and make On any given day you might see hospital offiviews known. The trouble is sound judgments. We need cials, educators, attorneys and police officers that after you have to be highly regarded if we there. unabashedly spoken out on are to be credible and You didnt have to snoop to hear converan issue it becomes impossible sations that were going on over lunch. That to write about it in a manner respected. Thats no small was the way I learned one of our senior govthe community would view matter. ernment officials was in trouble. It turned as objective. into a major news story. What if a staff member In addition to the gossip of the day, the dinwants to become involved ers would give their insights about the issues of with the Right to Life or the day. This provided an overview of what Planned Parenthood? As part folks thought about the happenings that affected them. of our newsroom regulations, we tell staff to talk with the This also is the case of parents at a high school football managing editor before making a commitment. We want to game. Frequently the conversation would turn to the new avoid conflicts and preserve our credibility as journalists. Of scheduling system, the principal who recently was hired or course, its easier for columnists who are expected to espouse thoughts about a levy that would be on a view than for a reporter who is expected to present all the ballot. These discussions could lead to sides. It can be done, but we need to be careful about how story ideas and angles. its handled. Oh, and there was the awkward One area that is wrought with conflict is political contrimoment at a basketball game when some butions and joining someones campaign. While I might comparents and I were talking about a student ment through our editorial page, I would not get on a platwho had brought a gun to a high per- form. forming, suburban school. When the prinWe frequently say that this profession is a calling, and to cipal heard about the incident, the student an extent it is. We are expected to have certain values and was called to the office and sent home. make sound judgments. We need to be highly regarded if we The couple sitting beside me at the are to be credible and respected. Thats no small matter. Harshaw, ASNE game felt there was more to the story. Thats not to say that we do not make mistakes, but we president, is editor They thought the treatment was harsh. It should try to guard against them. of the Springfield turned out that they were the students Just as we question the credibility of sources, the public (Ohio) News-Sun parents. has a right to question us. This is a special position to hold, and senior editor Are we always journalists? Its a good and we should treat it as such. Cox Community question because if we vary on our Are we journalists always? You bet. And pleased to be Newspapers. behavior, it can lead to questions about so. O

Features 4 Sunshine Sunday


ASNE unveils an ambitious effort to increase public awareness of the importance of open government By Andrew Alexander

Departments Design
A small paper with a radical approach to the front page By Scott W. Angus

14

Choosing between sitting on the sidelines or participating in the community

An American editor
Ken Paulson, one of the original staff members at USA TODAY, is back in the newsroom, bringing fresh ideas and energy to the newspaper after a difficult time By Judy Pace Christie

20

10

Sunshine Sunday in the Sunshine State By Barbara Petersen Tips on conducting a public records audit

11 12

International
Cuba Spring followed by yet another winter By Edward Seaton

Small newspapers
4
Going 15 rounds with Muhammad Ali By Don Huebscher

25

16

The courts
Courts side with PGA on scoring By Kevin Goldberg

ASNE news
A calendar of events

26 28

18

Convergence
What, exactly, does convergence look like? By Lori Demo

Photography in focus
Editors face tough choices with tsunami victim photos

16

20

Th e A m e r i c a n Ed i t o r

Ja n ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5

Sunshine Sunday
ASNE unveils an ambitious effort to increase public awareness of the importance of open government
By A n d r e w A l e x an d e r

Sunshine W eek
ducted to gauge compliance with local and state FOI laws. Broadcasters will air news and feature stories. Online sites will carry blogs and sponsor chats about government transparency. Some news organizations even plan to host community discussions. If it is successful, the weeklong effort will have raised public consciousness of an issue critical to democracy. And it will have started to turn the tide away from an acceptance of secrecy toward a presumption of openness. Sunshine Sunday-Sunshine Week is arguably the most significant FOI undertaking in ASNEs history. Although several states, notably Florida, have organized successful Sunshine Sunday campaigns, the idea of a national event was first raised at the ASNE-led FOI Summit held in Washington in June of 2003 under the leadership of FOI Committee Chair Doug Clifton. That planted the seed, recalls Peter Bhatia, who was ASNE president at the time. Months later, he remembers, former ASNE president Tim McGuire urged him to call for a national Sunshine Sunday in his farewell address at the ASNE Convention. I jumped at it, says Bhatia, as something that could potentially have some impact. In his convention address, Bhatia sounded the alarm: There is no doubt what is happening in this country, he said. The avenues for the public to get vital information about the conduct of its government are being systematically shut down by a secrecy-obsessed administration. This, in turn, has emboldened equally recalcitrant state and local governments, which were on the nondisclosure bandwagon already.

hen editors get together and talk turns to freedom of information, two things typically happen.

Someone argues that government secrecy has never been worse. Then everyone wrings their hands and insists that Something Must Be Done. These are dangerous times for open government (but not the worst; more on that later). Something must be done and it is. ASNE is spearheading the first-ever national Sunshine Sunday-Sunshine Week, an ambitious effort to increase public awareness of the frightening growth of government secrecy. On March 13 and the following week, news organizations across America Alexander is chair daily and weekly newspapers, magazines, of the ASNE television and radio stations, online sites Freedom of will focus on freedom of information. Information Some will publish editorials, columns Committee and and cartoons. Others will carry stories Washington about the state of the publics right to Bureau Chief for know. A number are expected to disclose Cox Newspapers. the results of audits they will have con-

Th e A m e r i c a n Ed i t o r

Ja n ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5

Ja n ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5

Th e A m e r i c a n Ed i t o r

S U N S H I N E S U N DAY

S U N S H I N E S U N DAY

Before the convention had ended, ASNEs FOI Committee met and decided a national Sunshine Sunday was its top priority. Within months, the Miami-based John S. and James L. Knight Foundation had weighed in with a critical $100,000 grant. Two national co-coordinators were quickly hired and planning began at breakneck speed. It didnt take long to decide that the initiative needed to be more than a single Sunday. The National Newspaper Association, which represents smaller papers, noted that many do not publish on Sundays. Online publishers observed that visitation rates are low on Sundays. And others argued that a multiday project would offer a greater opportunity for panels and seminars to be held on campuses or at local libraries. Echoing that concern were broadcasters, who pointed out that television and radio stations could have greater impact if they could air stories during the week, when viewing audiences are larger. That Knight Foundation recognized the importance of broadcast participation and soon provided another substantial grant to the Radio-Television News Directors Association. The group will prepare video news packages that can be aired as is, or as part of locally produced broadcast stories. So Sunshine Sunday quickly became Sunshine Week. And by the time it was officially announced to the press on Dec. 14, a solid organizational framework was in place. The backbone of the effort is a 54person steering committee that includes prominent newspaper and magazine editors, media company owners and executives, well-known columnists, leading journalism educators and the heads of major industry organizations such as ASNE, the Newspaper Association of America, RTNDA, NNA, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Associated Press Managing Editors, Investigative Reporters and Editors. The two national co-coordinators have been the key planners. One is Debra Gersh Hernandez, the former vice president of communications for NAA who also had been Washington
6 Th e A m e r i c a n Ed i t o r

The vast majority of editors endorse the project and see it as a way to shine a spotlight on a critically important public policy issue whether through balanced and accurate news stories, or through editorials, columns or cartoons.

We need to do a better job in explaining to the public why this is not simply an issue that affects journalists exclusively, but it actually concerns (the publics) right to information about its government.
Barbara Cochran RTNDA president

editor for Editor & Publisher magazine. The other was Ray Ollwerther, former vice president of news and executive editor of The Asbury Park Press in New Jersey; he left the project in January to take a top communications job at Princeton University, his alma mater. Aiding them have been former Miami Herald Managing Editor Pete Weitzel, a passionate FOI champion who heads the Washington-based Coalition of Journalists for Open Government, and ASNE Executive Director Scott Bosley. By early January, they had put together key structures to make it easy for news organizations to participate: I A Web site, www.sunshineweek.org, which will serve as a clearinghouse for Sunshine Sunday-Sunshine Week. It will be a repository for editorials,

columns, cartoons, as well as news and feature stories on government secrecy. I A how-to tool-kit, available on the Web site, that offers suggestions for how news organizations can take part. I Op-ed pieces on the importance of freedom of information, written by industry leaders and prominent Americans. I Real people stories from citizens who have fought for release of government-held information that has helped them or their communities. I A partnership with the American Library Association, which will play a leading role in setting up community discussions about the importance of freedom of information at the local level. I Sunshine Week regional coordinators, chosen to oversee state coordinators, who will be to encourage and facil-

itate participation in Sunshine Week. Newspapers wanting to be involved in Sunshine Week can participate in many ways: I Editorials, columns and editorial cartoons are excellent ways to spur discussion and educate readers to the value of open government. I Publish news stories on how freedom of information benefits real people and how denial of government information can hurt them (environmental

and health-related topics are good starting points). I Spotlight individuals who have used open government laws to obtain public records. I Partner with your local library or other civic organizations to sponsor a public forum on open government issues. I Speak to local groups about the importance of freedom of information. ASNE offers a pair of newly revised stump speeches as a resource for editors. They can be found in the First Amendment section of www.asne.org. I Work with your state press association or your newspapers marketing department to develop public service ads on the benefits of open government. I Find a way to recognize local open government heroes, whether they are private individuals, members of civic organizations or government officials.

I Encourage staffers to visit local schools to talk with students about how openness is the foundation of our government. I Conduct an open public records audit of your own city or county, or join with other news organizations to audit a region or your entire state (see sidebar). I Work with your Newspaper In Education coordinators, as well as editors responsible for in-paper content geared toward younger readers, to prepare a segment on open government issues. Not all editors have embraced Sunshine Week. Several at major newspapers declined on grounds that they have a policy against participating in what they see as an industrywide advocacy campaign. We leave things like this to the editorial page, said one. Another insisted that those engaged in news coverage should not lobby. (The Sunshine Week initiative involves no lobbying of public officials.) The vast majority of editors endorse the project and see it as a way to shine a spotlight on a critically important public policy issue whether through balanced and accurate news stories, or through editorials, columns or cartoons. The ASNE effort is a terrific one, says Associated Press President and CEO Tom Curley, an open government champion. Official secrecy seems to be growing at an epidemic rate (and) it behooves the media to begin to move to the balls of our feet and become more aggressive in covering the issue. But, he adds, its critical to connect what we do with the public interest and to line up with the people and remind them how important it is that they get access to what their elected representatives are doing. RTNDA president Barbara Cochran agrees that a key to success is casting government openness as being important to the people, not just the press. We need to do a better job in explaining to the public why this is not simply an issue that affects journalists exclusively, but it actually concerns (the publics) right to information about its government.
Th e A m e r i c a n Ed i t o r 7

Ja n ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5

Ja n ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5

S U N S H I N E S U N DAY

S U N S H I N E S U N DAY

I think sometimes broadcasters (have) even more of a burden than our colleagues in the print media, she says, because we often run into situations where our cameras or our microphones are excluded from public proceedings. To NAA President and CEO John Sturm, whose organization represents publishers and owners, the issue of government secrecy is as important to the executive suite as it is to the newsroom. Our success as a business enterprise, he says, depends on the good works of our journalists, and journalists need to be able to get their job done. Will Sunshine Week have any impact? Yes, but only if news organizations enthusiastically participate. In Florida, three years of Sunshine Sunday campaigns have produced strong results, editors say. The public was left with a better understanding of the rights of the citizenry in our state. And the newspapers emerged as the peoples champion against government abuse and deception. In short, everyone walked away a winner, says Jim Witters, former managing editor of The Daily Commercial in Leesburg, Fla. Floridas first Sunshine Sunday, in March 2002, took place with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks still foremost in the minds of citizens and with the furor barely subsided over privacy issues raised by the Orlando Sentinels attempt to obtain (but not publish) autopsy photos of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt. In the state legislature, more than 100 exemptions to the states open government laws were introduced. But through the leadership of the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors, newspapers banded together to make the case for open government through news stories, editorials, columns and cartoons. A common theme: public records laws are there to preserve democracy and open government for everyone, not just journalists, says Terry Eberle, executive editor of FLORIDA TODAY. Of about 300 bills introduced in the Florida Legislature to restrict open government in the past three years, nearly all have failed.
8 Th e A m e r i c a n Ed i t o r

These are perilous times for those who believe in open government. In the wake of 9/11, Americas understandable obsession with national security produced a mania for secrecy. The Bush administration, already one of the most secretive in recent history, set a tone that emboldened the bureaucracy and the Congress to hide vast amounts of information from its citizens. That, in turn, has prompted state and local governments to wield the SECRET stamp with abandon.

In a 2002 address to a Pew Center gathering in Tampa, then-Orlando Sentinel Editor Tim Franklin (now the editor of The Sun, Baltimore) outlined the challenge to define FOI issues as the peoples issues: We must educate our readers about why open government and public records are critical to our way of life. We must show real-life examples of how public records benefit the public: How crime records can help make neighborhoods safer. How hospital and nursing home records can be used to protect our loved ones who are sick or old. How public health records can identify and prevent the spread of disease. How real estate records can help people when buying a home. And, how autopsy records can help experts and the media to prevent future injuries and death. We cant simply espouse our constitutional right alone as the basis for getting access to records. Weve got to tell our readers why we want the records and what the greater good is in

obtaining them. We need to engage in an ongoing dialogue with our readers about the benefits of open government. South Carolina held its first Sunshine Sunday and Open Government Week in October. AP bureau chief and state FOI chair John Shurr says the effort was part of an ongoing commitment by journalists to keep the message (of open government) in front of the people and the lawmakers. Shurr said South Carolina was the third state to conduct a state FOI audit, and another is planned for next year. You have to keep ringing the bell, he says. Shurr also stresses the importance of writing for the general public. We never lose sight of Joe Six-Pack, he says. All our FOI materials are written with citizens in mind. More than 120 daily and weekly newspapers participated in Missouris first Sunshine Week last February. Doug Crews, executive director of the state press association, says the effort was a

plus in helping to improve the states Sunshine Law that was passed in May and took effect in August. Among the bills provisions are tougher penalties for violations, a capping of copying fees of public records, a requirement that records be provided in the format requested if available, and extending the law to cover meetings and votes conducted by phone, video conference or the Internet. The widespread participation by Missouri newspapers had an impact in the capital it brought Sunshine to the front, Crews says. The impact of Missouris Sunshine Week is also reflected in an increased interest by citizens in using the Sunshine Law, he notes. State Attorney General Jay Nixon conducted a series of workshops around the state on provisions of the new law and sued officials of one town, saying they violated the law by approving a higher salary offer for a city administrator by telephone. The mayor agreed to pay a $100 fine in that case.

Alabama editors have been optimistic about chances of the state Legislature passing a tougher Open Public Meetings Act, the focus of the states Sunshine Sunday effort last March. We feel like were about to close the loop, says Edward Mullins, journalism chair of the University of Alabama and former chairman of the Alabama Center for Open Government. Mullins said two TV stations joined half the states daily newspapers in participating in Sunshine Sunday. Because we knew the bill was going to be introduced later in the year, we wanted to call attention to it, especially in the smaller towns, he said. These are perilous times for those who believe in open government. In the wake of 9/11, Americas understandable obsession with national security produced a mania for secrecy. And the Bush administration, already one of the most secretive in recent history, set a tone that emboldened the bureaucracy and the Congress to hide vast amounts

of information from its citizens. That, in turn, has prompted state and local governments to wield the SECRET stamp with abandon. For example, Attorney General Ashcrofts famous October 2001 directive on Freedom of Information Act requests essentially reversed government policy and required citizens to prove they should be entitled to information kept by their government instead of the onus being on the government to show why it should be secret. The Bush administration removed more than 6,000 documents from government Web sites, making it harder for citizens to ensure their safety and monitor their public officials. The White House also issued an order halting the declassification of presidential documents (shortly before the scheduled release of records from the term of the current presidents father). The Pentagon has forbidden photos of flag-draped caskets returning from Iraq as part of an effort to control the images of war. The vice president refused to release records from his energy task force. And now the Bush administration wants to extend secrecy, making it illegal for many federal employees to disclose documents that are not classified, but which government leaders deem to be merely sensitive. Bad times, to be sure. But the worst? Abraham Lincoln, who shut down some 300 opposition newspapers during wartime, was a secrecy fanatic. He not only kept vast amounts of information from the press and the public, but even refused to share information with some of his top generals. And Woodrow Wilson required newspapers to operate under a World War I censorship code that imposed restrictions on publishing government information. Of course, all that was before the era of computers, which hold the promise of making government information more accessible to the public. Instead, there are fears that the electronic age will allow bureaucrats to more easily hide entire databases. Is the worst yet to come? O
Th e A m e r i c a n Ed i t o r 9

Ja n ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5

Ja n ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5

S U N S H I N E S U N DAY

S U N S H I N E S U N DAY

Sunshine Sunday in the Sunshine State


What started out as a frustrating exercise in herding cats has become a successful public education effort that has made a huge impact on state politics

By Ba r b a r a A . Pe t e r s e n
he idea for Sunshine Sunday emerged in the fall of 2001 when board members of the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors discussed how best to impress upon the public the fundamental importance of access to government meetings and records. In the weeks and months following 9/11, the Florida Legislature held a series of special sessions during which a large number of particularly egregious open government exemptions were considered. Any opposition to the proposed bills was summarily dismissed by sponsors and lobbyists as a press problem, even though most of the proposals raised serious constitutional issues and would have curtailed the publics ability to hold its government accountable. A press problem? Under the leadership of Tim Franklin, then executive editor of the Orlando Sentinel and a vigorous advocate of open government, the FSNE board decided to organize a statewide campaign that would educate Petersen is presiFloridians about dent of the First their right to overAmendment see government Foundation in through application Florida. of the states open

government laws. But, just as important, it also would shine a light on the actions of legislators as they inappropriately tried to close government meetings and records. The plan was simple and ambitious: All of Floridas daily papers would run articles and editorials about the importance of government oversight and citizen engagement on the same day, the Sunday before James Madisons birthday, which already had been designated as National FOI Day. Weekly papers were asked to run their articles and editorials the week after Sunshine Sunday to avoid diluting the impact of the campaign. Submission deadline was the Friday before, and all submissions were posted to the FSNE Web site. Participating papers were allowed to download any article, editorial or editorial cartoon posted to the Sunshine Sunday site. Organizing all the state papers was difficult and tedious at times, much like the proverbial herding cats. About half of the states daily newspapers participated. Sunshine Sunday 2001, the first in Florida and in the nation, was a

huge success by any measure. Calls from citizens in response to an op-ed I submitted overwhelmed my staff, and requests for additional information and educational programs kept us busy for months. In the days following Sunshine Sunday, there was a significant increase in the number of letters to the editor, the vast majority of which expressed strong support for public access laws. Perhaps most important, though, was the effect on our state Legislature. For the first time in many years, we saw actual debate on exemption bills, particularly in the House, with opponents citing statistics and anecdotes from Sunshine Sunday editorials. A joint resolution making it more difficult to create exemptions to Floridas access laws, which had been languishing in committee, suddenly gained new support and breezed through both chambers with a near unanimous vote. The proposal, which was placed on the ballot in the 2002 general election, was approved by a huge majority of voters, and today any bill that places limits on the publics right of access must have a two-thirds vote in each chamber. In March 2004, participation by the states daily newspapers increased substantially, with nearly all of the dailies submitting articles, editorials, and my favorite editorial cartoons. The number of guest editorials also increased, with Floridas Attorney General Charlie Crist writing a great piece extolling the virtues of open government. Floridas broadcasters also participated, many of them running editorials and a public service announcement featuring wellknown Florida columnist and author Carl Hiaasen, which was provided free via satellite feed. The annual Sunshine Sunday public awareness campaign continues to have a dramatic impact in Florida. Almost all of the roughly 300 open government exemption bills introduced in the Florida Legislature over the past three years have failed. Legislators and other key government officials have begun to realize that being tagged as a supporter of open government is a good thing, and we have developed a growing num-

... As weve proven here in Florida, the dividends of Sunshine Sunday bring us ever closer to the democratic ideal of government for the people.

Tips on conducting a public records audit


xactly how open are the public records in your circulation area? How much sunshine actually filters through the protective arms of government workers? The best way to answer that is to conduct a public records audit, a detailed reporting project thats been undertaken in more than half the states in the past seven years. Typically, a newspaper (or group of newspapers) sends in auditors to check on the availability of basic public records of general interest such items as the police blotter, salary records, overtime documents, budgets and so on. The auditors dont identify themselves as working for a news organization unless they are specifically asked for identification. And the auditors simply record what happens to their request. Audits require careful preparation, extensive training of auditors and strong coordination. Their strength is that they offer a snapshot of how officials are delivering on promises of open government and typically some colorful anecdotes to enliven the statistics. But, as the Society for Professional Journalists points out, they can be massive undertakings. They may well be challenged by public officials in terms of your motive and execution, so attention to detail is important every step of the way. Statewide audits tend to get the most attention, but audits can be more focused in scope: Your staff can test public agencies within a single city or county, for example. SPJ offers an extensive tool kit for editors planning a public records

audit. It offers tips on training, dos and donts, sample work sheets, resources and much more. Its available on the Web at: www.spj.org/FOIToolkit.pdf. O

A public records audit, step by step


1. Recruit. 2. Select records to survey. 3. Prepare training handout. 4. Create a survey tally site on the Internet and forms for auditors in field. 5. Test it in trial surveys. 6. Conduct in-person training at each site. 7. Survey. 8. Make a tentative report. 9. Have a writers conference: unveil the tentative report, assign stories. 10. Publish the stories and the narratives. 11. Post them on the Internet.

ber of highly visible champions within the system. Citizen engagement remains strong: In the last general election, a constitutional provision guaranteeing access to hospital adverse incidents reports was approved by a whopping 81 percent of voters. Organizing a statewide campaign is not easy, and maintaining the medias interest year after year is even harder. But as weve proven here in Florida, the dividends of Sunshine Sunday bring us ever closer to the democratic ideal of government for the people. O

Contributed by Tom Bennett Atlanta Journal-Constitution SPJ Georgia Sunshine Chair


From SPJs FOI Audit toolkit

10

Th e A m e r i c a n Ed i t o r

Ja n ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5

Ja n ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5

Th e A m e r i c a n Ed i t o r

11

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Cuba Spring followed by yet another winter

Was ASNEs meeting with independent journalists a test of Castro? Lessons in the serious business of dealing with dictators and dissidents in Cuba.

By Ed wa r d S e at o n
hether the ASNE board and I share any blame for the death of what today is known as Cuba Spring will probably never be clear. But its certainly possible. We undoubtedly have learned that dealing with dictators and dissident journalists is serious business. And so, among other sobering lessons of this episode, we may want to be wary of it in the future. The term Cuba Spring refers to the flourishing of independent journalism and easing of state controls in Cuba that began several years earlier and reached its height in the months leading up to its tragic crushing that began March 18, 2003. Dozens of self-described independent journalists had worked outside Cubas state-run media for several years, publishing abroad and facing periodic harassment, including confiscation of their rudimentary equipment. Many were political activists writing polemics and seeking asylum abroad. After 1997, a particularly difficult year, the harassment lessened and by the Cuba Spring at least 100 independent journalists were working, many producing fairly balanced reporting. Prior to a 1998 trip to Cuba I organized for the ASNE board, we were told we might meet with Fidel Castro if we behaved by not making a big public issue out of the dissidents. We met with the dissidents privately, interviewed

Although not so apparent to us in 2002, our success in getting the AP bureau approved in 1998 had made the situation for dissidents riskier. Just weeks before approval of the AP bureau, a new felony went on the books with punishment up to 30 years in prison for supplying information to or collaborating with foreign news media or aiding a foreign nation against the interests of socialist Cuba. Despite this threat, four dissident opposition leaders willingly met with our 2002 delegation. A total surprise, they joined us midway through an onthe-record meeting at the official residence of James Cason, essentially the U.S. ambassador. Cason told us it was Castro for six hours and paved the way the first time anything similar had for the opening of bureaus of the occurred. Associated Press and U.S. newspapers. Later I came to feel that by pairing In October of 2002, at the request of us with the dissidents, Cason and the then ASNE President Diane McFarlin, I U.S. government had used us to push again organized a fact-finding trip for perhaps even test Castro by the ASNE board. This time we were making a public show with the dissiassured we would see Castro and dents. The Bush administration had werent warned to behave. We also abandoned the Clinton approach (in hoped to interview other leaders, hear effect on our earlier visit) of respondfrom U.S. diplomats, quietly contact dis- ing to incremental improvements in sidents and perhaps pave the way for human rights and the rule of law additional U.S. newspaper bureaus. with incremental improvements in Instead, we did not see Castro and relations. The new policy was all or wound up in a web of intrigue and nothing. And we were being used. As diplomatic games. it turned out, Castro pushed back. Because of continued economic woes Vladimiro Roca, who had been in 2002, the Cuban government at the released only the previous May from a time was on a charm offensive to attract prison sentence for insulting Castro, tourists, foreign investment and subsi- told us at Casons residence they were dized trade. Cuba had recently allowed willing to assume the risk. We are a live and provocative televiaccused (of cooperating with sion address by former Washington) even if we dont President Jimmy Carter and a come here, he said. He and Castro interview with Barbara his colleagues believed the Walters, which aired on regimes campaign to present ABCs 20/20 the day before a positive face to the world our arrival. These developgave them some protection. ments clearly encouraged disThe international celebrity of senters, who four years earlier the leaders, who had won had been docile and obvioushuman rights prizes throughly intimidated. At that time out the world, also protected four dissidents had only Seaton is editor-in- them, they said. recently received lengthy chief of The An intriguing development prison sentences for insult- Manhattan (Kan.) unfolding then in Cuba was ing President Castro by say- Mercury and a the work being done to ing Cuba wasnt living up to former ASNE launch an independent magapresident. its international agreements. zine, De Cuba. It would be the

first independent general-interest publication in Cuba since consolidation of the revolution. While listed in the first issue only as adviser, Ral Rivero was the magazines intellectual father. Long a reporter for Cubas official media, Rivero is not only Cubas best-known independent journalist, he is the countrys leading poet. In 1991 he broke with the regime by signing a Letter of 10 Intellectuals calling for the release of political prisoners. He was the only one of the 10 who hadnt taken asylum outside Cuba. In 1995 he founded the independent news agency Cuba Press. Rivero told me at a breakfast that the improvements for independent journalists were just show. He laid out the plans for the magazine. We are going to provoke them, he told me. He detailed the stories planned for the first issue and said they would be straight, unbiased news coverage of events and topics that had not appeared in the state media. When published a month late in December, De Cuba consisted of 50 photocopied pages and included an examination of racism in Cuba, a piece on differing views of political reform, a feature on Cuban Rastafarians and a cryptic essay by Rivero about making a statement. The project was underwritten by a Spanish foundation. The 250 copies were distributed through the 100 independent libraries that had been permitted as part of the Cuba Spring. There was just one problem. Private mass media are prohibited by the Cuban constitution. Rivero, of course, knew this. He told me there would be consequences after the first issue, including confiscation of their equipment and a few nights in jail, but he thought Castros charm offensive insulated them from show trials and lengthy prison terms. He was 180 degrees wrong. When the Cuba Spring came to an abrupt end the next March, we realized our meeting had been the beginning of events that landed not only three of the four dissident leaders, but 71 other dissidents, including 29 independent journalists, with prison terms of six to 28 years.

Imprisoned were not only journalists but other nonviolent dissidents, including human rights activists, librarians, economists, doctors and teachers. Their crimes ranged from writing for publications and Web sites based abroad to collecting signatures to petition for a referendum and setting up independent libraries that included books by prominent dissenters like Vaclav Havel and Martin Luther King Jr. Ral Riveros punishment was a 20year sentence. He spent the first 11 months in solitary confinement and was finally released after nearly two years last Nov. 20 on a medical parole along with a few of the others. The parole can be revoked at any time. He lost 65 pounds while confined. Shortly after our visit to Cuba, President Castro accused Washington of trying to invent an opposition on the island. What triggered the move against the independent journalists and other dissidents? Believing that international publicity offered protection to them, I spoke publicly just weeks after leaving Havana about the plan for De Cuba, including Riveros belief that punishment would be minimal. I repeated this in a cover story for The American Editor, which came out that December. It is doubtful the regime learned anything it didnt know from my revelations, but I may have focused their attention by giving the project international exposure especially of the fact that the dissidents were telling foreign journalists they expected to get little or no punishment. Ill never know for sure. What I do know is that the 75 dissidents were arrested the next March 18, just two days after The Associated Press moved its first article about the magazine, which published its second issue in late February. Was that the trigger? Undoubtedly, there was more to the crackdown. Early in March 2003 six prominent activists announced a hunger strike, and opposition leaders urged that Cubas application for preferential trade treatment and assistance be rejected by the European Union.

The crackdown, with the worlds attention focused on the race to Baghdad, followed. Within weeks all 75 dissidents, including the 29 independent journalists, had been convicted in summary trials closed to the media. There were a dozen government spies at the trials, among them some of the most prominent dissidents. Two reporters, Manuel David Orrio and Nestor Baguer, who had spent years working alongside Rivero in the independent journalist movement, testified against him, saying he and the others were paid by the U.S. Interests Section. The 80-year-old Baguer later told reporters he began working for the security police in 1960. He said he had not been allowed to tell even his family about his true work in the 43 years he had done it. He said he had known Rivero from childhood and had been a close friend of Rals mother. I consider him a friend and I am very sad, but he deserved it because he chose the road of treason, Baguer said. Upon his release from prison last November, Rivero said he did not wish to emigrate. At 58, he said he hoped to be able to write in Cuba, although he may spend a year in Spain if permitted. I have never wanted to leave here, he told reporters. I am thinking about looking for a place to go work, teach, do something so that I can write the books I have to write. Among them, he said, would be a book about his prison experience. Although he said hed like to return to journalism, he admitted he didnt want to work with the sword of Damocles over my shoulders, threatening me with prison again, because this has been an immense family tragedy. He saw little hope for the dissident journalists movement. Objectively, I cant now recreate what is destroyed, he said. There is no one to renew this dream of an independent press. Many are in prison, and the free ones want to emigrate. Castro had won. The Cuba Spring was past. Winter has returned. O
Th e A m e r i c a n Ed i t o r 13

12

Th e A m e r i c a n Ed i t o r

Ja n ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5

Ja n ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5

DESIGN

DESIGN

A small paper with a radical approach to the front page


By S c o t t W. A ng us
ts been three months since The Janesville Gazette, a 25,000-circulation daily in southern Wisconsin, launched what many agree is a bold attempt to increase readership. Did it work? In many ways, yes. Reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. Readers are using the new paper just as we intended. And Gazette editors are generally happy with how theyve been able to adapt to the new format. But when it comes to the most important measures of success circulation growth and Reader Behavior Score its too early to tell. What is this radical approach? We scrapped our traditional front page and filled our new front with summaries of inside stories, promos of

tion and praise, and thats no surprise. The Glance runs two columns down upcoming stories, and a big window to the right side of the front and contains better display our lead story and art. summaries of about 10 inside stories. That was by far the most significant These arent teasers; they are sumchange, but we made other maries. Thats critical because improvements inside to comwe promote the front page as plement the new front or a five-minute read that can supplement our readership bring readers up to date on efforts. the days most important stoThe Gazette did most of ries. the redesign in-house, based Besides helping timelargely on the Readership starved readers, the Glance Institutes 2001 Impact Study. makes it easier to navigate the The paper also updated its paper. Many readers have told typefaces and made other cosus they spend more time with metic improvements, but the Angus is the edithe Gazette. That surprised biggest changes tied directly to tor of The us, but we surmise that the the readership recommenda- Janesville (Wis.) Glance prompts people to Gazette. His email tions. read stories they may have The Gazette at a Glance is sangus@gazetteoverlooked. has attracted the most atten- extra.com. Compiling the Glance

takes an editor about an hour. For straight stories, the editor often simply cuts and pastes. Other stories take more work, but the key is to not leave readers hanging. That wouldnt be fair after the commitment weve made. The three items promoting upcoming stories run across the bottom of the front. During the redesign, we questioned using that much valuable space for promotion, but the Impact Studys strong recommendations convinced us. To be honest, Coming Attractions, as we call them, are a work in progress. Like most papers, particularly smaller ones, we struggle to plan stories days in advance. Thats particularly true with harder news. To date, many of our promos have been on centerpieces for features pages, and they occasionally repeat. We need to do better, and were working on it. If we cant, we might cut

back on front-page space devoted to promotion. The last key element out front is what we call The Window. Its a fourcolumn-by-12-inch space under the flag on the left. Our original intent was to use that hole much like a tabloid cover as often as possible big art, big headlines, some text when appropriate. We do that several times a week, and were pleased with the results. The big revelation and relief about the window is how flexible it is. When news or circumstances dictate, we design it much like a traditional page, only smaller, and it works fine. Combined with the 10 ministories in the Glance, it makes for a lively and newsy front page. The relief is that we dont need exceptional art every day. We shoot for it as often as possible, but the page

works without it. Many of us had more than a few sleepless nights leading up to the redesign. And some of us still occasionally wonder what weve done. Breaking from tradition is scary, and its hard. But mostly, were excited to be part of something new, and were heartened by the early response. We will do a reader survey in spring that will update our Reader Behavior Score. That should give us some indication of our success. But the real test will take much longer, perhaps years. Well modify as we see fit, but were committed to seeing this through. Were not naive enough to think our approach is the ultimate answer. But we hope it makes a difference here and is a positive step as newspapers everywhere continue to seek ways to build readership. O
Th e A m e r i c a n Ed i t o r 15

14

Th e A m e r i c a n Ed i t o r

Ja n ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5

Ja n ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5

THE

C O U RT S

THE

C O U RT S

Courts side with PGA on scoring

Newspapers eight-year fight ends in the rough, with possible implications for other sports

By Ke v i n G o l d b e r g
tatistically, any request that the Supreme Court review a lower court decision is only slightly more likely to finish successfully than Kevin Costner's 250 yard carry over water on the 18th hole of the U.S. Open in the movie "Tin Cup." So no one should really have been surprised when, in October, the Supreme Court denied certiorari in the case of Morris Communications, Inc. v. Professional Golf Association. Still, defeat stung all the same, as it signaled the end of a valiant and justified eight-year fight by Morris and other members of the media to report on golf scores in real time and jeopardizes coverage of other sporting events. Beginning in 1996, Morris Communications, which among other holdings owns 26 daily newspapers, 13 non-daily newspapers, and 23 free com-

rence of any given shot. In January 2000, the PGA also prohibited the sale or distribution of any scoring information to a third party without the prior written consent of the PGA. These credentialing restrictions were intended to protect the PGAs RealTime Scoring System (RTSS). According to the PGA, it had invested in excess of $26 million in the development of RTSS. The system itself involves a series of volunteers known as hole reporters, who follow each group of golfers around the course and calculate the scores of each player at the end of each hole. The scores are then collected by other volunteers located at each green on the course. Those volunteers use wireless radios to relay the scoring information to a remote production truck staffed by PGA personnel. All scores are then processed at a remote production truck and transmitted in real time on the PGAs website, pgatour.com, as well as at the on-site media center. In August 2000 the PGA agreed to waive the restriction on the sale of realtime golf scores to third parties, as long as any scores sold by Morris for syndication were collected solely from pgatour.com. Unfortunately, Morris found this process unreliable due to repeated delays and inaccuracies. Morris munity papers, began publishing real- informed the PGA that it wished to be time scores from PGA tour events on its credentialed to syndicate scores from jacksonville.com and augustachroni- the on-site media center. This request cle.com Web sites, which allowed it to was denied. generate revenue via subscriptions and Morris filed a complaint in United advertising. The PGA reacted States District Court for the almost instantly to protect Middle District of Florida, what it believed was a propriseeking a preliminary injuncetary ownership interest in tion to allow it to publish the scores themselves, by issuscores in real time from the ing credentials to reporters on-site media center. Because covering PGA events that the PGA is not a government mandated that members of entity, Morris could not allege the press would only be a First Amendment violation; allowed to transmit real-time instead it based its claim on a scores on their Web sites if state and federal antitrust law those scores were obtained at Goldberg, an and the Florida Deceptive and the on-site media center at attorney at Cohn Unfair Trade Practices Act. each tournament; however, a and Marks, Specifically, Morris alleged players score could not be Washington, is that the PGA possessed updated sooner than thirty ASNE legal monopoly power over access minutes after the actual occur- counsel. to its golf tournaments and

that the PGA unfairly used that power to stifle competition in the market for syndicated real-time golf scores. In response, the PGA argued that what it possesses is a property right in RTSS and that its restrictions are a reasonable safeguard against would-be free riders seeking to unfairly capitalize on its product. The District Court denied Morris motion for preliminary injunction, holding that Morris could not prove that the PGA had violated any level of antitrust law. It found the PGA had a legitimate business justification for refusing to grant a media credential under the terms desired by Morris. Morris tried to counter the PGAs argument by citing the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuits 1997 decision in National Basketball Association v. Motorola, Inc. In that case, the Court of Appeals held that a defendant cannot have a property interest in real-time scores because scores are factual information existing exclusively in the public domain. However, the District Court distinguished Motorola because in the present case, the PGA was not protecting the facts (the scores) themselves, but the system of collecting those facts (RTSS). It agreed with the PGAs claim that the entity had invested too much time and money into RTSS to allow Morris, or any other organization, to free ride off the PGAs invention. Key to the District Courts holding were the distinctions between covering golf events and other sporting events. It noted that Motorola was able to obtain its information regarding NBA games by simply tuning in to a publicly-aired television or radio broadcast. There is only one score to be obtained per game. This is not possible with regard to coverage of PGA tour events. PGA tour events involve multiple scores spread out over a vast expanse. Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the decision is that the District Court did not find the public interest would be served by issuing this injunction. Although the court agreed that increased access to news and information is in the public inter-

est, the District Court believed there is also a strong public interest in ensuring the existence of fair and effective competition in the marketplace. This interest would be disserved if one competitor is allowed to free ride on the efforts of another which it found would destroy the incentive to collect news in the first place. On appeal, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit essentially partnered up with the District Court, adopting the lower courts rationale in a manner that appeared to offer copyright-type protection for these fact-type scores, despite earlier judicial precedent from the United States Supreme Court that factual data (in the form of telephone numbers) were not capable of copyright protection because they lacked any element of originality (ASNE had joined an amicus brief supporting Morris in the United States Court of Appeals). Like the District Court, the Eleventh Circuit put a premium on the existence of a business rationale for protecting the scores and reporting system. In supporting Morris petition for the United States Supreme Court to hear the case, the media brought out the big hitters. Former Solicitor General and Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr drafted and submitted an amicus brief supporting Morris arguments. ASNE joined with 16 other parties, consisting of press associations and media companies, on this brief, which argued that the Eleventh Circuits rationale could be exported to nonsporting contexts in a way that would hamper the coverage of important news events, such as political conventions. It also argued that the decision below was contrary to the very purpose of the Internet, the medium that best presents the ability to transfer massive amounts of factual information in real time. The attempt sliced into the rough, as on October 4 the Court decided that the case did not present a novel issue worthy of its review. This case will have a major impact on the ability of credentialed reporters to transmit golf scores in real-time. The District Court left open the possibility

that publications could transmit scores in real time it did not dispute the holding of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit that there exists no property interest in the factual scores themselves if the publication can devise its own system for accumulating the scores. However, given the strict restrictions on the use of electronic transmission devices such as telephones and computers from the golf course itself, it would be practically impossible to transmit scores in real time via the Internet. It is unlikely that these credentialing restrictions can be attacked in any meaningful way. The real issue is the impact this decision will have on the coverage of sports and events other than golf. Most indications are that this impact will be minimal. Because neither court held that there is a property interest in the scores themselves, it seems likely that publications may continue to transmit scores in real-time, given that real-time coverage of sports other than golf is extremely practicable. Golf tournaments are held not in a single area, but over a large expanse. Because the sport of golf has traditionally involved the silence of spectators, the prohibition of cell phones is a necessary restriction. However, this is not true with regard to other sports, such as basketball, which are held in large, noisy venues. Thus, it appears likely that this decision will not have a major impact on the coverage of other major sporting events. If these restrictions are imposed in those sports, however, the media should carefully plan its next shot in court. A major drawback of this case was the fact that most golf courses, as well as the PGA itself, are private venues, preventing a constitutional challenge to these restrictions. Change the facts to a Major League Baseball game in a new publicly funded stadium in Washington, or, better yet, a college football game on a public university campus, and the media will likely hit the sweet spot with the strongest force behind its swing. O
Th e A m e r i c a n Ed i t o r 17

16

Th e A m e r i c a n Ed i t o r

Ja n ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5

Ja n ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5

CONVERGENCE

CONVERGENCE

What, exactly, does convergence look like?

Survey finds that almost a third of editors report some type of cross-media partnership, but many remain wary of it and only a few are strongly committed to it

By L o r i De m o
o go the contradictory opinions on television-newspaper partnerships. On one side is the editor who is an obvious champion of convergence: This partnership works well because we respect each others work and professionalism, the editor wrote. On the other side are editors for whom a partnership with a television station is as attractive as a partnership with the advertising department. These partnerships raise anti-trust issues and contribute to the publics impression of homogeneity among news media, wrote one. TV stations are competitors not partners, wrote another. And the award for succinctness: TV bad newspaper good! Those responses come from a survey of daily newspaper editors that my research partners and I conducted. Our goal was twofold. First, to identify the types of activities that have become routine in newspaper-television partnerships. Having the right digital camera or lightweight computer certainly allows journalists to concentrate on newsgathering rather than technology, but we were more interested in whether new routines create better content. Second, to try to answer questions that have puzzled journalists and perhaps led to convergence paralysis: What, exactly, does convergence look like; is there one right way to practice it; and should we even bother? The results of the survey both sur-

ships, 86.8 percent said they and their partner had separate owners. Anecdotal evidence suggests media partnerships are abuzz with cross-pollination: Designated newspaper people are in constant contact with their television partner to plan cross promotions, the partners help each other out when a big story breaks, they form special teams to work on projects. Results of our survey suggest the anecdotal evidence is true to some degree. A small group of newspaper editors appears to be relatively committed to cross-promotion efforts and see their benefits. As one editor who gives a television partner budget lines and headlines for use on the late-night news An executive summary of this study wrote: They are too late in the cycle to is available at: http://web.bsu.edu/ report the stories we give them but it mediasurvey/summary adds to their story count on the newscast. We both win. But we win bigger. prised us and confirmed some things Most newspapers, however, are not we had suspected. On the one hand, taking advantage of the cross-promotion partnerships are performing many of opportunities: 26.9 percent of newspathe functions often considered to reflect pers designate a staff member to appear convergence: sharing of daily news on their partners newscast at least once budgets, cross-promotion of partners a week to promote stories in the next content and appearances by newspaper days newspaper. staff members on partners broadcasts. Instead of designating an on-air proOn the other hand, many of those func- motion person, newspapers are more tions are performed by a relatively small likely to have a staff member who has number of partnerships, suggesting that expertise on a beat appear on their parta few newspapers are relatively com- ners broadcast to explain a story mitted to their convergence efforts while although only 19.4 percent say they do others either are still trying to define so at least once a week. their efforts or have adopted partnerNewspapers are most likely to proships in name only. mote their partners by running their The obvious lede here is that 29 per- logos in the news columns and often cent of the 372 editors who that logo appears on the responded to our nationwide weather page, where the newssurvey reported they had a paper can take advantage of the partnership with a television audience recognition of the station news operation, and local broadcast meteorologists. those newspaper-television An overwhelming majority partnerships exist at all circuof newspapers 70.1 percent lation levels. do not spend time during Because the early adopters their news meetings disand high-profile practitioners cussing how to promote their of television-newspaper partpartners content. nerships tended to have com- Demo is an assisCross promotion is one mon ownership, some people tant professor in thing, but sharing information concluded convergence the Department of is another. The traditional required corporate bloodlines. Journalism at Ball competitive spirit remains Not so. Of the 108 editors State University, intact at newspaper-television who reported having partner- Muncie, Ind. partnerships at least from

newspapers point of view. Most editors indicate they are willing to share at least some of their planning budgets with their partner, but they appear leery of sharing too much. Editors were asked which of a series of statements best described how they share information with their partners. Their responses: I 16 percent never share. I 44.3 percent are selective in what they share. I 17 percent share most stories but request that they run some stories before their partner runs them. I 12.3 percent share most stories but hold back stories on which they have a competitive advantage over their partner. I 10.4 percent said they shared all stories with their partner. Those results are supported by other findings in the study. At least once a week, a fifth of newsrooms share video or photographs if one of the partners misses or chooses not to cover a story. Although more than half of respondents 51.4 percent never share the cost of special projects or investigations with their partners, 3.8 percent do so once a month and 16.2 percent do so at least four times a year. The results indicate some editors are having trouble defining just what convergence means and how to practice it in their newsroom. Certainly the definition of convergence has evolved over time. Thankfully, the backpack journalist died an early death as editors realized that writing for print and for broadcast requires different skills and (often) different temperaments. Those editors trying to figure out how to bring more collaboration and interaction to their partnerships might consider the Convergence Continuum. The continuum assumes that convergence can happen at five levels of interaction and cooperation, each associated with a range of expected behaviors. This research suggests that most partnerships are practicing convergence at one of two levels. The first is crosspromotion, which is self-explanatory. The other is cloning, in which partners do little collaboration and generally fill

their Web sites with shovelware. The research also suggests that some partnerships might be practicing coopetition, a natural stage at which news staffs both cooperate and compete. Here, the news outlets promote and share information about some stories on which they are working. Still, years of competition and cultural differences combine to create mutual distrust that limits the degree of cooperation and interaction. For example, a newspaper reporter might appear as an expert or commentator on a television stations newscast to discuss a current issue, but the two staffs are careful not to divulge any information that might be exclusive to their news products. But the true benefits of convergence might happen if the partners consider the final two stops on the continuum. In content sharing, partners might share stories, but do not publish them until they have been repackaged by their staff members. They also might share news budgets; attend their partners planning sessions; or collaborate on a special, investigative or enterprise piece. In general, however, news organizations produce their own stories without helping each other. Full convergence takes advantage of the strengths of each media, for example, the context of newspapers, the immediacy of television and the interactivity of the Web. Partners cooperate in both gathering and disseminating the news. They might create hybrid teams of journalists from the partnering organizations to work together to plan, report and produce a story, deciding along the way which parts of the story are told most effectively in print, broadcast and digital forms. The teams gather and produce content for specific projects and then disband. New teams form as additional projects present themselves. This research suggests some partnerships might be practicing some aspects of full convergence: 12.2 percent have a common assignment desk or editor and 8.4 percent have a common manager or editor who determines how to use the strengths of each medium to give the most meaningful story to the audience. The benefits of a common desk are

reflected in one editors response: The partnership worked really well when we had a coordinating editor for our group who kept in regular contact with the newsrooms and the TV station. That position went dark late last year, and the partnership went well for a while but has faltered of late. The continuum suggests a couple of courses of action for editors who are grappling with where to go from here. The first is to decide which level of convergence works for their partnership. They can try a common assignment desk or more formalized budget- and content-sharing routines. They can try some short-term projects in which story assignments reflect the strengths of the different media involved. The next time they have a breaking news story, they can work together to make sure the television station coverage reflects immediacy while the newspaper offers the context of what the big event means. The changes do not have to be permanent or daily. A partners place on the continuum is not fixed; it can move back and forth depending on the nature of the news and the commitment to convergence by workers and managers. A partnership is built on trust earned over time, one editor wrote to us. This partnership works well because we respect each others work and professionalism. One question remains to be answered here: Is a partnership worth the effort for your newspaper? As academics like to say, the answer to that question requires more study. One thing is clear from editors responses: For convergence to work everyone involved must win: the newspaper, the television station and especially the reader. Many editors who do not have partnerships said the reason was their feeling that the arrangement would benefit the television station more than it would benefit the newspaper. Until we see more examples of convergence practiced at a higher level and whether those efforts produce better journalism that better serves the audience and grows the audience, we wont know. O
Th e A m e r i c a n Ed i t o r 19

18

Th e A m e r i c a n Ed i t o r

Ja n ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5

Ja n ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5

AN AMERICAN

EDITOR

AN AMERICAN

EDITOR

Ken Paulson is editor of USA TODAY, the largest daily circulation newspaper in America. He was named to his position in April 2004 as the newspaper was recovering from a scandal that drew national attention. Previously Paulson was executive director of the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University. In his role there, he relied on his background as a journalist and lawyer to promote a greater understanding of the First Amendment. He believes that editors need to demonstrate consistently that we protect the public and that were on their side and that newspapers need to do a better job of reporting on shield laws, access to public information and other free speech and free press issues. He expresses his dismay at secrecy at the federal and local level that has gone unchallenged for too long and encourages journalists to confront that issue. Before he left the newsroom for the First Amendment Center, Paulson was an editor and reporter for 18 years, including roles as vice president/news and executive editor of Gannett Suburban Newspapers in Westchester County, N.Y., and executive editor of FLORIDA TODAY in Brevard County. Answering a wide range of questions, Paulson discusses what he learned during his years out of the newsroom and his approach to his new job. He is married, the father of two children and is an avid music and baseball fan, still hoping for a Chicago White Sox win in the World Series.

be the executive director of the First Amendment Center? What led you away from editing initially? A. I left my job as executive editor of Gannett Suburban Newspapers to take the job of a lifetime. I had an extraordinary opportunity to study, explore and write about First Amendment issues, and not worry about newshole. The job led in time to a syndicated newspaper column and a weekly television show called Speaking Freely. It was among the most satisfying work Ive ever done. That work involved talking to people all across this country about their perceptions of the press, as well as candid conversations with the nations newspaper editors. Throughout that time, I tried to make the case for more responsible journalism, including reducing our reliance on anonymous sources and striving to publish newspapers that truly serve their communities. When USA TODAY publisher Craig Moon called and invited me to interview for this job, I recognized that this could be my second job of a lifetime and I needed to see if I could practice what I had been preaching. Q. What lessons from those years outside the newsroom did you bring back into the newsroom with you? What did you learn that might be of help to other editors? A. I heard firsthand from readers who felt that their local newspaper had lost touch with their community. Some blamed corporate ownership; some just saw their hometown newsrooms as being disengaged. I think all newspaper editors can benefit from doing more outreach, bringing together readers for regular conversations about content, responding to each Christie is presiand every reader dent of Judy inquiry, correcting Christie the record when we Consulting make a mistake and Services, LLC in explaining clearly to Shreveport, La. readers why we do

what we do. Q. You took the new job with intensely public controversy swirling around the newspaper. How did that affect your approach to your role? A. During my years away from the newsroom, I found myself reading and enjoying USA TODAY every day. It very quickly became my favorite newspaper. Experienced editors will relate to what a gift I was given: the chance to come in and edit a newspaper that didnt need to be overhauled or revamped. That meant that I could come into the newsroom and simply listen and learn, talking to a wide range of staff members about both their concerns and their creative ideas for the future of the newspaper. It gave us time to heal and to build a foundation for the future. Q. What did you learn from that transition that might help other editors in a crisis situation? A. A new editor should bring fresh ideas and energy to a newsroom, but youll also find a lot of wisdom and perspective in the newsroom if you take the time to listen. Q. In what ways did the very public report on problems at USA TODAY influence how you dealt with your staff members and readers? How has it influenced how you covered the news these past six months or so? A. I think the way USA TODAY handled the Jack Kelley scandal was right on the money. The task force report was certainly comprehensive and it served to clear the air. By the time I joined the newspaper, the slate was clean and the newspaper could have a fresh start. As for lessons learned, the task force report was a helpful blueprint. We had to take steps to ensure that any questions about our credibility are communicated to senior editors and immediately investigated. To that end, weve established an accuracy hotline, which we promote each day on the editorial page. Reader Editor Brent Jones meets with me and other senior editors every morning to

give us a sense of what readers are saying about the newspaper and to raise any ethical or accuracy concerns. No complaint goes unexamined for more than 24 hours. Q. What are the biggest challenges you face as editor of The Nations Newspaper? How do the challenges for you and your staff differ from those at community newspapers, such as those you edited earlier in your career? And, how are they similar? A. To some extent, we have the same challenges as any newspaper. We face increasing competition from other media and need to generate readership among a generation that increasingly turns to the Internet for news and information. Beyond that, theres a special challenge in aspiring to be the nations newspaper. That means reflecting and respecting the interests and concerns of Americans in all 50 states and making sure we move beyond the Beltway in assessing and reporting on what this nation truly cares about. Q. What half dozen words would you use to describe USA TODAY as a new year gets under way? A. Innovative. Energetic. Fun. In touch. Fair. Growing. Q. If you could make changes in the newspaper and add a word to that list, what would it be? A. Essential. Q. What do you really love about the paper? A. Were not snobs. We report intensively about Congress, American foreign policy and economics, but bring the same enthusiasm and ambition to coverage of Desperate Housewives or the new Nintendo game platform. We care about what our readers care about. Q. What sorts of changes will readers notice in USA TODAY under your editorship? A. You wont see anything dramatic. You should see more enterprise and investigative work, an area in which the newspaper has made considerable
Th e A m e r i c a n Ed i t o r 21

Back to the beginning


Ken Paulson, one of the original staff members at USA TODAY, is back in the newsroom, bringing fresh ideas and energy to the newspaper after a difficult time.

By Judy Pace Ch ristie


Q. You were one of the founding staff members of USA TODAY. How has the newspaper changed since those early days? A. USA TODAY has grown in both depth and sophistication since those early days, but it hasnt lost its innovative spirit or its willingness to tackle familiar subjects in new and different ways. Q. How have you changed since those early days? A. Im much grayer. Q. What brought you back to editing after leaving for about seven years to

20

Th e A m e r i c a n Ed i t o r

Ja n ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5

Ja n ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5

AN AMERICAN

EDITOR

AN AMERICAN

EDITOR

progress over the past decade. Q. For many years you have been an advocate for the First Amendment and tracked its power closely. What have you learned that bodes well for journalists? And what have you learned that should keep journalists awake at night? A. The good news is that the First Amendment has been a vital component of our democracy since 1791 and most judges in this country continue to understand and embrace First Amendment principles. The bad news is that thats the only good news. The credibility of the news media is arguably at an all-time low. Q. As you traveled around the country talking about the First Amendment and writing a syndicated column on the subject, what surprised you? A. Its surprising that a nation founded on freedom can be so intolerant of controversial speech, art and music. A controversial art exhibit leads to picket lines. An insensitive remark leads to calls for boycotts. The land of the free has become the home of the easily offended. Q. Some of your research showed that journalists are often not very well regarded by the public. Should editors be worried about this image and what might they do to change it? A. As basic as it sounds, we need to do a better job of getting things right. I have to tell you that my seven years away from the news business was an eye-opener. I found myself interviewed on First Amendment issues two or three times a week and in all candor, only about half of those articles got all of the facts right. I found myself misquoted or misunderstood in about a fourth of them. I suspect that people who dont talk to the press for a living have similar experiences. The American people wont trust your reporting on Iraq if you cant correctly spell the name of the next door neighbor.

Q. What might newspaper editors across the country be doing to shore up the First Amendment? A. We need to demonstrate consistently that we protect the public and that were on their side. Most disturbing to me is that the public no longer seems to recognize or respect our watchdog role. Decades of politicians denouncing the liberal media have taken a toll. The public will ignore the watchdogs barking if it believes the dog is rabid. Newspapers also need to do a better job of reporting on shield laws, access to public information and other free speech and free press issues. This isnt Inside Baseball; its about protecting the cornerstone of democracy. In addition, editorials on the First Amendment need to move beyond freedom of the press issues and remind readers that the five freedoms of the First Amendment protect Americans faith, culture and way of life. Q. How do you believe President Bushs re-election will affect First Amendment issues? A. Our current Supreme Court is fairly supportive on First Amendment issues. With the reelection of any president, there is a chance that the delicate balance could change. That said, this isnt about the president. Its about a culture of secrecy at both the federal and local level thats gone unchallenged for too long. Im stunned at the number of federal officials who hold briefings for the press, but insist that their names cant be used. Since when does a public official on the public payroll talking about public business in a public building have a right to anonymity? Yet when USA TODAY and the Associated Press challenge those restrictions, other news organizations are largely silent. That has to change. Q. What sort of approach will your newspaper take in covering the presidents new term? And, if you had the campaign coverage to do over, what might you change? A. I dont foresee any dramatic changes in the way we cover the presi-

dent. Its our goal to report on the issues that affect our readers daily lives. As for recent election coverage, I think that most editors and news directors felt that there was too much focus on Vietnam and not enough on the challenges America faces today. To help address that during the campaign, we ran a series of stories that asked Does it matter who the president is... That series gave readers a side-by-side comparison on key issues. Q. From 1986 to 1988, you worked as a special assistant and chief of staff to Allen H. Neuharth, who was at that time Gannett chairman and who is the founder of USA TODAY and FLORIDA TODAY, two papers you have edited. What lessons did you learn from Neuharth that you use in your daily work? A. The greatest lesson I learned from Al is the importance of taking a risk for the right reasons. USA TODAY lost millions of dollars in its early years, but Neuharth and the Gannett Company persevered, eventually building the largest daily circulation newspaper in America. Neuharth didnt mind criticism; in fact, there were times he seemed to invite it. That willingness to challenge journalistic convention is still part of USA TODAYs culture. Q. Youve had a full and varied career. What are its defining moments and why? A. Im at least fifteen years away from retirement, so Im not sure that I can provide a meaningful career overview. I can only say that Ive had the privilege throughout my career of working with and for some truly remarkable people. Ive learned from them all. Q. If you had it all to do over again, what would you do differently? What mistakes have you made through the years? A. My greatest regret as a newspaper editor is that I didnt become more involved in the communities in which I lived. I was of the post-Watergate generation that believed you needed to

Ken Paulson
Hometown: Elmhurst, Ill. Education: Graduate of University of Missouri School of Journalism and University of Illinois College of Law. Married to: Peggy Paulson, a woman I started dating when we were 16. How I proposed to my wife: The reporter in me wanted to document the moment, so I asked Peggy to go shopping with me at the mall. As we walked past a four-photos-for-a-dollar booth, I invited her in. I proposed between the first and second frames. Children: Carrie Ann, 24, and David, 21. If I werent a newspaper editor, Id be: Executive director of the First Amendment Center. Books Im reading these days: Jon Stewarts America, A Citizens Guide to Democracy Inaction. Book I would recommend: Our Culture of Pandering by the late Senator Paul Simon. Favorite restaurant of all time: The Home Run Inn, a pizza parlor near Comiskey Park. Guilty pleasures: James Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy and Hershey bars with almonds. Best concert I ever attended: Bruce Springsteen and the E St. Band at Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis on Darkness on the Edge of Town tour in 1978. All-time best song: Twist and Shout. All-time best album: A tie: Meet the Beatles and Van Morrisons Moondance. If I were a baseball player, Id be: On the disabled list. Three things I want from every journalist I hire: Intelligence, passion and integrity. Biggest surprise in my new job: Just how polarized the nation is. Every days mail brings accusations of bias from one side or the other, sometimes on the same story. My best day ever in the newsroom: Jan. 16, 1981. Bridgewater CourierNews Assistant Managing Editor calmly explained to me that when your expectant wifes water breaks, you have to leave the metro desk. To my surprise, they published without me.

publishing a newspaper with integrity every day, but a little marketing money wouldnt hurt either. Theres nothing Id like to see more than a nationwide campaign of Americas newspapers reminding people all across this country that we have high standards and strive to uphold them every day. Q. Do you think members of the news media are inherently biased? A. The real bias in Americas newsrooms is not for or against a political party. Its against the people in power. And of course, thats the way its always been looking out for the American people, challenging those in charge to defend their use or abuse of public office. Q. How do you feel about the use of unnamed sources, and what is USA TODAYs policy on such sources? A. Anonymous sources have undercut the credibility of all news media. Through a collective lack of self-discipline and self-scrutiny, weve allowed public officials to operate in a culture of secrecy. USA TODAYs new policy says that anonymous sources may not be used in the newspaper unless the identity of the source is known to a managing editor, and the managing editor has made an independent decision that the value of that information outweighs the potential damage to our credibility. Thats not a low bar. Q. How involved are you in shaping the daily news report and what sort of discussion goes into those decisions? A. Im very involved. Thats the fun part of being an editor. I participate in both our morning and afternoon news meetings, and I work closely with the Page One Desk and the executive editor to craft a front page that will both interest our regular readers and drive single copy sales. Q. Much of the discussion about growing readership around the country centers on local news. Your market, however, is different. What is a
Th e A m e r i c a n Ed i t o r 23

keep readers at arms length in order to ensure your absolute objectivity. I still believe that editors need to fiercely protect their independence, but that doesnt mean I couldnt have been my kids softball coach or served on the board of a local charity. Too many newsrooms are so independent of the community that they become hermetically sealed. Q. The credibility of newspapers, including USA TODAY, has been hammered in recent years. Despite national efforts by groups such as

ASNE and many well-meaning journalists, newspapers have emerged fairly bloodied. What do you think must be done to change that? What went wrong? A. I think the greatest single mistake the newspaper industry made was to allow itself to be bundled with the media in the minds of the American public. We have strengths the rest of the media cant touch. Newspapers are the most credible, balanced and in-depth news vehicles in the world. We need to make a case for that with our readers. Of course thats best accomplished by

22

Th e A m e r i c a n Ed i t o r

Ja n ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5

Ja n ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5

AN AMERICAN

EDITOR

SMALL

N E W S PA P E R S

local story for USA TODAY and what special efforts do you make to engage readers? A. As polarized as this nation seems to be these days, the truth is that most Americans share similar values and interests. In 1987, I had the opportunity to travel to all fifty states on USA TODAYs BusCapade project. We came away from that with a real sense that Americans are more alike than they are different. As the nations local newspaper, we strive to reflect that commonality. Q. USA TODAY obviously has a very diverse market. What are you doing to improve diversity of staffing and coverage? A. Being the nations newspaper means that we need to maintain a news staff that truly reflects the diversity of the U.S. That means stepped up recruiting efforts and greater participation at conferences for minority journalists, along with internal assessments of how well our coverage reflects an increasingly complex and diverse society. Q. Why hasnt more progress been made nationwide on diversity of staffing and coverage? A. I dont know. I suspect it has something to do with economic pressures and other distractions, but there is no excuse for Americas newsrooms not to reflect the communities they serve. Theres still work to do. Q. In recent years, there has been much discussion among journalists about using resources well and trying to do more with less. Some complain that this means news coverage is weaker. Others say it makes newspapers more focused. What do you say? A. Its admirable to strive to do more with less, but a good editor with a talented newsroom of 80 is going to achieve better results for readers than a good editor with a talented newsroom of 70. Q. Through the years you have been known as an innovative and creative editor. Do you believe the newspaper
24 Th e A m e r i c a n Ed i t o r

industry is innovative enough? How do you handle the clash between Weve always done it this way. and What if we tried this? A. Ive had the good fortune throughout my career of working with staffs that have been receptive to new concepts and approaches. The best way to get buy-in for creative ideas is to open up the creative process. Those ideas should come from the entire staff, not just be handed down. Q. One of the areas in which newspapers have tried to be more innovative is in convergence. What do you think of those efforts around the country? How would you rate USA TODAYs convergence efforts? A. As someone who launched a primitive online version of FLORIDA TODAY almost 15 years ago, I couldnt be more excited about the potential for technology to allow newspapers to survive and thrive for a long time to come. Were finally at a point where newspapers can view themselves as news organizations and networks, applying their information-gathering expertise to a wide variety of platforms. USA TODAY and USA TODAY.com, along with our USA TODAY Live television operations, can offer readers and users far more information options than ever before. Q. If Ken Paulson launched into one of his famous brainstorming sessions today, what might be on the horizon for USA TODAY? A. That would violate the most basic rule of brainstorming: Dont go in with any preconceptions. Q. Do you believe that without innovation newspapers will eventually die off, replaced by cable channels and Web sites or something else? How can newspapers best coexist with other media? A. I suppose that sometime in the next century, well see the last publication of a newspaper on newsprint. Its my hope that that day is many decades away and the masthead on that final newspaper will be blue and white.

Q. How would you describe your leadership style? And, how might a reporter in your newsroom describe that style? A. I think that both questions are best left to others to answer. I only hope that people who work with me can sense both my enthusiasm and love of newspapering. I got into the business because it seemed like a lot more fun than practicing law. I havent been disappointed. Q. Would you encourage a college student today to go into journalism? A. I would. I think journalism is a terrific training ground for any number of professions. It teaches you to organize facts, look at them critically and present them in a clear and compelling fashion. Those skills will pay off in news media work and many other careers. Q. Youre a huge music fan, and you used that knowledge to help talk about the First Amendment with your Speaking Freely program. How did that hobby evolve? A. When I was 16, I came across an ad in a Chicago area magazine looking for young people to write about subjects that interested other young people. This was shortly after Woodstock, and it seemed like every publication was looking for a way to appeal to the new generation. I jumped in with both feet and for the next nine years wrote about popular culture and popular music for a wide range of publications. I gave all that up when I became a metro editor and a young father in Bridgewater, N.J., but never lost my love for or interest in music. When we began our Speaking Freely television show at the First Amendment Center, I recognized that familiar faces from the music and film industries would help build an audience. It was my pleasure to be able to tape shows with a number of people who appear prominently in my record collection, including David Crosby, Roger McGuinn of the Byrds, John Kay of Steppenwolf, Chuck D of Public Continued on Page 27.

Going 15 rounds with

Muhammad Ali

Editing a small newspaper in a battleground state in the closing weeks of an election is a bruising task, with readers questioning your I.Q and your integrity

By D o n Hue b s c h e r
eing the editor of a small daily newspaper in a battleground state in the closing weeks of the presidential campaign was the verbal equivalent of going 15 rounds with Muhammad Ali in his prime. Theres a jab from the right a left cross a right uppercut a relentless attack from the left and the right. By Nov. 2, I was ready to throw in the towel and call it a technical knockout. Biased? I just wanted it over with. Editors are supposed to be used to this stuff, especially at smaller newspapers where calls from readers come straight to your desk and where your home phone number is published. After all, you cant tell people you want to hear from them and then bristle when you do. I dont mind being criticized for unsound news judgment. We all discuss and debate Page 1 decisions every working day of our lives. Readers inevitably will disagree with decisions we make, and its encouraging that they weigh in because it shows how much they care about their newspaper. I also dont mind debating the wisdom or lack thereof of the editorials I write. If I did, Im clearly in the wrong business. But what gets to me every time are the callers who accuse me of trying to steer public opinion in the direction of one candidate or another by the placement and size of stories and photos. In

So we stopped endorsing candidates. Is this wimping out? Im sure some in my craft think so. But in discussing the matter with some readers I found that, at least in this market, more than a few people dont see the distinction between the editorial page and the rest of the paper. That is, how can editors tell readers whom to vote for on the editorial page and behave objectively throughout the rest of the paper? By endorsing, some believe our reputation suffers if our candidates lose, and so we have a vested interest in helping them win through our daily editorial judgments. Still others, I believe, look at their voting decision as highly personal and other words, were dishonest in our resent the faceless Editorial Board claim of objectivity. Translation: Were butting in. They dont object to editoriliars. als about referendums and other Of course, this is a hard thing to charged local issues, but something defend against on any given day. One changes when the decision is between day the Swift Boat veterans get a bigger candidates rather than a yes or no on a headline. A few days later a story ques- bond issue. tioning President Bushs National Guard Also, regarding local elections in a service gets bigger play. Of course, both city like Eau Claire, Wis., readers have scenarios are proof that we are trying to told me the endorsement carries too promote one candidate or torpedo the much weight in races where candidates other. have very little to spend to counteract a Editors cant win this argument, but 2x15 editorial telling readers not to vote I think we have to stand up for our- for them. selves and be ready with proof that we Finally, critics charge that it is hypotruly strive for balance. To simply dis- critical to favor campaign finance agree, raise voices and hang up isnt reform on one hand (which we have) going to do anything but reinforce the yet play the freedom of the press trump talk radio windbags who card on the other when we make a living by fueling endorse days before an elecstereotypes of the maintion without allowing equal stream media. space for a rebuttal. Several years ago our There are a few other reanewspaper did a readership sons we tried to treat the cansurvey that garnered 3,000 didates fairly. responses out of roughly I We cut off all letters 39,000 Sunday subscribers, a endorsing or denigrating canreturn rate only made possible didates well before the elecby the chance to win one of tion. This angered some read10 gift certificates for dinner. ers who felt frustrated that A full 70 percent of the Huebscher, editor they couldnt talk about the respondents told us they did- of the Leaderissues. I reminded them that nt think we should endorse Telegram in Eau our policy didnt prevent anycandidates. The response was Claire, Wis., can one from weighing in on the across the board from readers be reached at war, health care, Social who felt we were to liberal, don.huebscher@ Security, education, etc. They too conservative or middle of ecpc.com. Continued on Page 27. the road.
Ja n ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5 Th e A m e r i c a n Ed i t o r 25

Ja n ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5

ASNE NEWS

Calendar
Jan. 29, 2005 Nominations Committee meeting, The Poynter Institute, St. Petersburg, Fla. Feb. 4 ASNE Convention Program Committee meeting, JW Marriott Hotel, Washington Feb. 4-5 Leadership Committee meeting, San Antonio Feb. 10-12 ASNE Awards Board meeting, The Poynter Institute, St. Petersburg, Fla. March 14-15 Readership Training Seminar, Lincoln, Neb.

April 5-6 Readership Training Seminar, Miami April 12-15 ASNE Convention, JW Marriott Hotel, Washington June 12-17 Institute for Journalism Excellence orientation, American Press Institute, Reston, Va. Aug. 8-9 Institute for Journalism Excellence debriefing, San Antonio Sept. 13-14 Readership Training Seminar, Roanoke, Va.

Beginning
Continued from Page 24. Enemy, Little Richard and Janis Ian. Q. What have musicians learned about the First Amendment that journalists may not know? A. Every musician who has ever sung a Woody Guthrie or Phil Ochs

song understands the real power of free expression. They know that a moving message is no less protected under the First Amendment just because it has a backbeat. Q. As a baseball fan, were you happy with the outcome of the World Series? A. I got a big kick out of the Boston Red Sox finally winning. Now its time for my beloved Chicago White Sox to

do the same. Theres something about throwing a World Series that the baseball gods never forgive. As a newspaper editor, I was also happy with the outcome of the World Series, particularly because game four ended on a Thursday and we had outstanding single copy sales the next day. When you edit a newspaper that only publishes five days a week, you really pull for major news and sports events Sunday through Thursday. O

The American Editor


Published by the American Society of Newspaper Editors Volume 80, Number 1 (Issue Number 841)

BOARD

OF

DIRECTORS

President: Karla Garrett Harshaw, Springfield (Ohio) News-Sun; Senior Editor Cox Community Newspapers Vice President: Rick Rodriguez, The Sacramento (Calif.) Bee Secretary: David A. Zeeck, The News Tribune, Tacoma, Wash. Treasurer: Gilbert Bailon, Al Da, Dallas Susan Bischoff, Houston Chronicle Kenneth F. Bunting, Seattle Post-Intelligencer Milton Coleman, The Washington Post Frank M. Denton, Tampa, Fla. Carolina Garcia, Monterey (Calif.) County Herald

Charlotte H. Hall, Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel Mike Jacobs, Grand Forks (N.D.) Herald W. Martin Kaiser, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Robert Rivard, San Antonio Express-News Sharon Rosenhause, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale Stanley R. Tiner, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss. Julia D. Wallace, The Atlanta JournalConstitution Janet S. Weaver, The Tampa (Fla.) Tribune N. Don Wycliff, Chicago Tribune David M. Yarnold, San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News
THE AMERICAN EDITOR COMMITTEE

Paul Anger, The Des Moines (Iowa) Register Judy Pace Christie, Judy Christie Consulting Services LLC, Shreveport, La., retired Charles R. Hammer, Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal Michael K. Levine, The Times Herald-Record, Middletown, N.Y. William E. Nangle, The Times, Munster, Ind. Arlete Notoro Morgan Columbia University Mary Ellen Shearer, Medill News Service, Washington Diana L. Smith, Reed Brennan Media Associates, Orlando, Fla. ASNE HEADQUARTERS Address: 11690B Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA 20191-1409 Telephone: 703/453-1122 Executive Director Scott Bosley 703/453-1120 sbosley@asne.org Diversity Director LaBarbara Bobbi Bowman 703/453-1126 bowmanb@asne.org Senior Project Director Diana Mitsu Klos 703/453-1125 dmk@asne.org

Co-chairs: W. Martin Kaiser, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Julia D. Wallace, The Atlanta JournalConstitution Co-vice chairs: Neil Brown, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times Warren E. Watson, Ball State University, Muncie, Ind. Managing editor: Kevin Wilcox

Online Director Craig Branson 703/453-1123 cbranson@asne.org Communications Director Kevin Wilcox 703/453-1132 kwilcox@asne.org Project Director Cristal Williams 703/453-1138 cwilliams@asne.org Project Coordinator Connie Southard 703/453-1135 csouthard@asne.org Finance/Membership Manager Chris Schmitt 703/453-1128 cschmitt@ asne.org Publications Assistant/ Systems Manager Suzanne Martin 703/453-1124 scj@asne.org Assistant to the Executive Director and Meetings Coordinator Alison Wilcox 703/453-1121 awilcox@asne.org

15 rounds
Continued from Page 25. just couldnt turn their letter into a campaign ad. The fact is the overwhelming majority of the letters we rejected were venomous, redundant, negative and did nothing to enlighten anyone. This policy was precipitated by orchestrated letter-writing efforts by the various campaigns. The capitalist in me resents that the same people who spend ungodly sums to spew their propaganda on TV expect us to publish it for free under the guise of informing the

public. Also, Ive been barked at in the past by writers of letters Ive rejected that were trying to steer public opinion toward our candidate. That complaint is negated if we reject all such letters in the weeks before the election. I After each debate we ran dueling critiques by liberal and conservative voices, usually E.J. Dionne on the left and Cal Thomas on the right. We put the same size headline over each and edited to equal length. I Keeping track of syndicated columns published to ensure balance. From Sept. 22 through election eve, we

published 31 columns that we considered pro-Bush/anti Kerry and 31 columns we considered pro-Kerry/antiBush. Not everyone may agree with our definitions, but I think the effort to provide equal time is a worthwhile exercise. Its hard to know unless you count. Now that the election is over its nice to have the e-mails back to a semi-manageable number. Its also nice to be back to having people just questioning my intelligence, rather than both my IQ and integrity. And, finally, I cant resist Im Don Huebscher, and I approved this message. O

Tsunami
Continued from Page 28. The paper received several complaints, Pynn said. Pynn said that while journalists should make every effort to spare their readers unnecessary discomfort, newspapers responsibility is to tell the truth, and sometimes telling only part of the truth distorts it. At the Sentinel, Pynn said, possible page-one photos for the next days paper normally are projected onto a screen during the editors meeting. Whenever the images are particularly disturbing, top editors are brought in for discussions. Chris Stanfield, director of photography at the St. Paul (Minn.) Pioneer Press and president of Associated Press Photo Managers, said, Whether or not to run the controversial photograph has and always should be a point of great debate in Americas newsrooms. Stanfield said, Of course the truth can be an ugly and disheartening reality, but that does not mean we shouldnt allow our readers to see things for themselves when a story of this

magnitude comes along. Kenny Irby, visual journalism group leader for The Poynter Institute, agreed with Stanfield: The drama and trauma of a disaster of this magnitude requires newspapers to report and publish some disturbing photographs. However, Irby said, the need to maximize truth-telling while minimizing unnecessary harm is of enormous importance during these times. O By Kiichiro Sato, director of photography, Mobile (Ala.) Register.

Legal Counsel Kevin Goldberg Cohn and Marks 1920 N Street N.W. Washington, DC 20036 202/452-4840 kmg@cohnmarks.com

The American Editor (ISSN 1083-5210, USPS 0857-220) Volume 80, Number 1 (Issue Number 841) is published six times a year by the American Society of Newspaper Editors, 11690B Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston VA 20191-1409. Single copies are $5. Periodicals postage paid at Herndon, Va., and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The American Editor, ASNE, 11690B Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston VA 20191-1409. Subscription rates for The American Editor are: 1 year 2 years 3 years United States $29 $50 $72 $61 $88.50 $34.50 Canada Foreign surface mail $44 $80 $117 Foreign airmail $64 $120 $177 ASNE members are eligible to get extra copies of The American Editor at half-price. Please pay by check in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank or an international money order.

26

Th e A m e r i c a n Ed i t o r

Ja n ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5

Ja n ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5

Th e A m e r i c a n Ed i t o r

27

PHOTOGRAPHY

IN

FOCUS

Editors face tough choices with tsunami victim photos

he Asian tsunami posed a unique challenge for newspaper editors, who had to decide whether to run disturbing images of victims as the death toll continued to rise. In the first week following the disaster that devastated 11 countries, many newspapers published page-one centerpiece photos of bodies laid in makeshift morgues. USA TODAY ran an above-the-fold photo on Dec. 28 of bodies laid out in the central square of Banda Acech, the capital city of Indonesias Acech province. I had about 10 images (of the tsunami) for our page-one meeting, said Michael Tsukamoto, USA TODAYs page-one photo editor. We had 14 editors to discuss whether to publish the photo of the dead bodies. Tsukamoto said USA TODAY has a policy that editors must discuss graphic images before publishing them. The editors decided, as the death toll kept rising, that the photos were necessary to show the scope of the event, Tsukamoto said. USA TODAY did not receive any calls from readers about the page-one photo, he said. Alex Burrows, director of photography at The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va., said that the
Th e A m e r i c a n Ed i t o r

papers editors did not publish any images of dead bodies on the front page for several days. However, the Pilot finally ran a photo of coffins because it was important for readers to see the scale of the tragedy, Burrows said. He said the Pilot ran a six-column, front page photo of covered bodies being placed in coffins. Burrow said the image demonstrated the high death toll without showing many body parts. The Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel published a centerpiece photo on Dec. 28 of two anguished parents grieving over the body of their child, who had just washed ashore at Cuddalore in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Public Editor Manning Pynn said the Sentinel ordinarily refrains from publishing such pictures, out of respect both for the dead and the sensitivities of readers. The scope of the event, however, made this case an exception, he said. No readers complained, Pynn said. The next day the Sentinel published an image of people wearing surgical masks walking among a sea of open boxes in a temple, searching for relatives bodies as the stiffened limbs of victims protruded from the boxes. Continued on Page 27.

28

Ja n ua ry- Fe b r ua ry 2 0 0 5

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen