Recent Writing

The 2012 elections are in the rearview mirror. Newly elected lawmakers will soon assume their duties, and newsrooms are returning to normalcy, however that is defined these days. For most editors and reporters, the next cycle of elections is the farthest thing from their minds.

Don’t fear. The exhausting election season is nearing an end. Your newsrooms are soon to return to normalcy – still chaotic, but at least a little more organized.

Here’s an action item for your next newsroom meeting: Ask reporters to identify the community newsmakers. Better yet, bring a stack of newspapers from the last couple of months and circle the newsmakers receiving attention in words and photos.

Customer service is the byword as businesses navigate today’s challenging economy. At newspapers, that means paying attention to details in all aspects of the operation – everything from prompt service for advertisers to efficient turnaround on submitted news briefs to on-time newspaper delivery.

We’re in the dog days of summer, which often are accompanied by a slowdown in news. More than a few editors likely are challenged to generate substantive content. It’s time to turn to your editorial calendars.

The newspaper is just off the presses, and your photographer is dispatched to a fatal accident scene. The mayor gives an inspiring State of the City speech; your story in the next day’s edition captures the highlights, but time and space do not allow any attention to the details. Newspapers deliver blow-by-blow stories of election campaigns, but casual readers fail to grasp the continuum of coverage.

Readers have been inundated for months with coverage of the 2012 presidential election. But newsrooms should also be brainstorming for ways to bring attention to local races.

Spend any time in a newsroom and numbers readily become a fact of everyday reporting. Reporters’ eyes can easily become glazed by the stream of statistics.

Newspapers frequently ask how they can promote a lively exchange of ideas in their communities.
There’s no silver bullet, but one premise is fundamental: Letters are the lifeblood of an editorial page. Take steps to ensure substantive letters, and you’re well on your way to making your editorial page a must-read. My apologies in advance to anyone who takes offense, but thank-you letters should be at the bottom of the pile – if they ever are published.

When is the last time a reader challenged the accuracy of a story? Or complained that a headline was misleading and sensational? Or charged that a major advertiser was given preferential treatment in a story? Or said a video posted on the website was selectively and unfairly edited?