Ive been in the newspaper business for nearly 20 years, and I dont recall being as frightened about a day in my life as much as I am about today.
Journalists love their jobs because of the variety, because every day promises surprises and something different. The work rarely is boring.
But today is much more different than most. In many ways, I feel its a departure of sorts.
I was six years into my career, I think, before I was aware of the Internet and e-mail. It would be another few years after that before I worked at a newspaper that even bothered to post its news on a Web site.
Today, the future of the newspaper business isnt in paper, in my opinion. Its in technology the Internet prominently now, but who knows what else in the future? Ive never seen an industry change as much and as rapidly as the newspaper business is now.
And today, The Monroe Times jumps head first into that change.
I hate to admit it, but before today the Times online product was mostly an afterthought. Mostly, it was a digital reprint of the days newspaper.
No more.
The unveiling of a redesigned Web site signals a sea change at the Times. Instead of looking at the Internet as a chore, it is an opportunity. An opportunity for our news organization to reach more and new readers in a much broader area. An opportunity for community members those here at home and those in the global community to have more of a voice in local news.
More by default as editor of the Times than by my knowledge of the Internet and Web development, I took the lead in the product-building effort. I wont bore you with the details, but lets just say there have been times Ive never felt so lost in my professional career.
When I lead a newspaper redesign, I know every nook and cranny of the products elements why theyre there, how theyll get done and who will do them.
As we roll out our Web redesign today, there are more uncertainties and mysteries than I feel comfortable with. Thats why today may be the most scary day of my career.
But I suspect, years from now, I also will look back at today as one of the most exciting days in my career. Today, the Times new Web site includes reader comments, photo galleries, polls and blogs. As we continue to build the site in the coming months, it will include interactive calendars, reader forums, citizen blogs, news content created by community residents and video news reports.
Something very different from newspapers. But something very exciting, indeed.
I hope you like it, and make the most of it.
Journalists love their jobs because of the variety, because every day promises surprises and something different. The work rarely is boring.
But today is much more different than most. In many ways, I feel its a departure of sorts.
I was six years into my career, I think, before I was aware of the Internet and e-mail. It would be another few years after that before I worked at a newspaper that even bothered to post its news on a Web site.
Today, the future of the newspaper business isnt in paper, in my opinion. Its in technology the Internet prominently now, but who knows what else in the future? Ive never seen an industry change as much and as rapidly as the newspaper business is now.
And today, The Monroe Times jumps head first into that change.
I hate to admit it, but before today the Times online product was mostly an afterthought. Mostly, it was a digital reprint of the days newspaper.
No more.
The unveiling of a redesigned Web site signals a sea change at the Times. Instead of looking at the Internet as a chore, it is an opportunity. An opportunity for our news organization to reach more and new readers in a much broader area. An opportunity for community members those here at home and those in the global community to have more of a voice in local news.
More by default as editor of the Times than by my knowledge of the Internet and Web development, I took the lead in the product-building effort. I wont bore you with the details, but lets just say there have been times Ive never felt so lost in my professional career.
When I lead a newspaper redesign, I know every nook and cranny of the products elements why theyre there, how theyll get done and who will do them.
As we roll out our Web redesign today, there are more uncertainties and mysteries than I feel comfortable with. Thats why today may be the most scary day of my career.
But I suspect, years from now, I also will look back at today as one of the most exciting days in my career. Today, the Times new Web site includes reader comments, photo galleries, polls and blogs. As we continue to build the site in the coming months, it will include interactive calendars, reader forums, citizen blogs, news content created by community residents and video news reports.
Something very different from newspapers. But something very exciting, indeed.
I hope you like it, and make the most of it.
