Packaging the News

Because it was so hilarious and uncomfortable, something lost in the Jason Jones’ New York Times piece is Keller’s accurate statement: Newspapers are still “the best package of first-hand witness, thoughtful analysis, intelligent commentary” you can bring with you anywhere you go.

Image by Jonathan_W via Flickr

You’d have to try not to be impressed with what goes into – or comes out of – an NYT, WSJ, The Buffalo News, the AJC on a daily basis. If you have 10 minutes, you can read ten-minutes’ worth; if you have an 30, you can dig deeper. Every day. Wherever you are. The format is great, portable and consistent. They cost a lot of money to produce, manufacture and distribute. The rules around creating them are based in other circumstances, times, notions.

Journalists now have to be active regularly to promote their work and themselves. Not in one place, but across places. The game’s not zero-sum, and working across multiple media is what works best for the journalist and the participant (née reader / consumer): important news will find its audience regardless of venue. It’s the quality of the contributors that matters.

News is more than reportage , and it’s not one group, alone, capable of analyzing and commenting thoughtfully and intelligently. When the community around the news becomes part of the process, potential impact increases.  The total package includes the best elements from contributors and participants.

We’re working toward helping this process and have an experienced team making it happen.

Among my favorite parts of our office setup – we’re all in the same room – is observing our packaging process in action. It’s terrific observing the amazement at the flow of stories coming in, watching the team figuring out what works best where on True/Slant and which other sites would most appreciate hearing about those stories.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with other fine Editorial teams, but here, I’m witness to the continuum continually. It’s especially exciting when something takes hold – quality links from other sites, an Active conversation, new participants joining, following, becoming part of the process. The “package” becomes greater than its parts when it starts with quality writing and grows to include meaningful input from the communities of participants around it.