Technology changes, ideals do not

Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009

Last week marked the 30-year anniversary of my arrival as an employee at The Enterprise as a youthful childless newlywed fueled by a passion for the power of journalism that most of we Watergate-era journalists experienced.

We were the generation that was going to change the world (as every generation before and since has been.)

There were government scandals to be investigated, wrongs to be righted and righteous indignation to be stirred up as we sought to preserve and protect truth, justice and the American way of life. Yes, we were Super Journalists (though we lacked the tights and capes).

Our goal was to make a difference in our world, and we probably did, though not as earth-shattering as we might have dreamed.

As in most lives, aging made us a bit more realistic about our goals and our role in the universe. Through the years many of the co-workers of that era have moved on to bigger titles at larger papers, or to jobs outside of newspaper journalism. A few, like me, have hung around.

We are now parents (and grandparents), editors and retirees. And, still, we are people who want to make a difference in the world.

We’ve learned that whispering can sometimes be more effective than shouting.

We’ve experienced huge changes in how we do our jobs: from typewriters, carbon paper and rubber cement to personal computers with flat screen monitors and comparatively minuscule hard drives. Today’s newsrooms are as much about technology as they are journalism.

Stories, once output in galleys — long strips of type that literally were “cut” with a razor blade — now flow almost effortlessly onto computer-generated pages that become reality with the push of a button.

Photographs that used to involve negatives, chemicals, photographic paper, enlargers — and most importantly, processing time — now are available virtually instantly as they move through our publication process totally in digital form. And they are in color, throughout the paper, every day.

The Internet, once a mysterious concept we heard about when we attended national conferences, has gone from fantasy to reality becoming a huge part of what we do.
The idea of downloading reading material to a small hand-held device has advanced from mere proposal to the commonplace.

The Associated Press, which 30 years ago consisted of a noisy machine in the newsroom with ringing bells, now is Web-based.

Times have changed, and we’ve had to as well. Some of those changes have been more difficult than others, but they’ve all been necessary to our survival in an increasingly competitive business.

We’ve been visited by floods and scandals, tragedies and triumphs, and through it all, The Enterprise has been a part of our lives, and a big part of mine.

* * *
Wednesday night will be busy at The Enterprise as carriers and staff collect and distribute what is always the biggest paper of the year. The Thanksgiving Day newspaper holds the details of all those Black Friday sales. For many households, making plans for bargain-shopping is as much a part of Thanksgiving as parades and turkey.

Putting those newspapers together, filling up extra racks and delivering those extra-large volumes demands some extra work.

Newspapers across the country have recognized that and started charging a premium price for this issue.

The Enterprise is joining their ranks.

As noted on recent statements sent to subscribers: “All print subscriptions include delivery of the Thanksgiving Day edition at an additional $1 charge.”

Non-subscribers who purchase the paper from newspaper racks or over the counter will be charged the Sunday rate of $1.75. It might be a small price increase, but the bargains revealed inside will more than offset the small premium for the larger newspaper.

Deadlines inhibit late sports scores

One of the most appealing things about a career in journalism is the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects.

In my decades in the business I’ve covered governmental meetings and murder trials; rubbed elbows with entertainers, politicians and other “celebrities”; attended social functions; and had all manner of interesting adventures.

Working for two smaller newspapers, I even took photographs of sporting events, including football.

What I have never done, however, is actually write about sports.

In a region of the country known for its love of football — particularly high school football — that’s a bit of a handicap. For that reason, readers who call with questions, comments or problems about football coverage might end up talking to our sports editor, Dave Wilson.

Though fairly new to The Enterprise, Wilson is a Texas native who spent most of his growing-up years in Kilgore — a great football town. He has substantial newspaper and sports experience, not to mention he can answer those football questions that sometimes mystify me.

A sports issue that arose recently was coverage, or lack thereof, of the Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles game played on Sunday, Nov. 8. The next day’s paper contained a photograph from the game, with a caption that included the score. Inside line scores were outdated, not reflecting the Sunday game. But the greatest sin of all was that the sports section included a photograph and full-coverage story on the New Orleans Saints’ game against the Carolina Panthers.

While we certainly have some Saints fans among our readers (and fans of the Texans, whose game was on the section cover) most everybody knows that this is actually Cowboy country.

So what happened? The answer is the same problem that hounds any print media trying to compete with Web sites and electronic media. We publish one edition per day — and have tight deadlines. BeaumontEnterprise.com can have current news posted in moments and be updated many times each day. But we only print one newspaper every day.

The night of the game, the Cowboys game ran late. We weren’t sure we could get anything, but were able to hold that one page to get in the photo and caption. The Saints game, which ended substantially earlier, was over in time for an inside story. The standings page already had been completed and sent so couldn’t be updated with post-game details — so the Cowboys standings were wrong.

It’s not something that makes us happy, but it is the reality of a printed media.

A century or more ago, people might not get to read a newspaper until it was weeks old — and they were happy to get to read that “old” news. In more recent history, the daily newspaper has been current enough for most readers, but times, particularly in the news business, have changed drastically in the last few years.

Our Web site helps us keep up with those times, but the daily deadline is always going to keep the printed newspaper from being the most current news. In return, it generally gives you the most detailed news — just not in this case.

* * *

Speaking of the sports section, households in which that portion of the paper is in high demand now have an inexpensive alternative to keep two readers happy at the same time.

Our eEdition, the electronic version of our printed product, is now available to current print subscribers for only a penny per month — 12 cents a year.

So, if one person wants to hold the paper in his or her hands, while the other wants to read it on a computer, that’s possible for a very small cost. The eEdition also allows e-mailing of stories — so Grandma in Topeka can see how great Johnny did in the playoff game.

To take advantage of the bargain rate, log on to BeaumontEnterprise.com/services/subscribe/ and click on the “add an eEdition for a penny” link.

Non-print subscribers will still be charged the regular rate of $8.95 per month.

Goal remains same despite changes

Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009

Thursday’s tragic shooting at Fort Hood in Killeen allowed newspapers across the country to do what they do best: go behind the scenes, chase down leads, and tell the stories of the people directly impacted by the events of the day.

Yes, there were blog comments and rumors running rampant on the Internet. Yes, everyone had something to say about the deaths of those 13, mostly young, soldiers who were killed and the 30 who were wounded.

Readers have to recognize the difference between news and commentary. Newspapers offer the most complete and, I dare say, accurate accounts of events such as this. A 30-second interview on a news broadcast doesn’t offer the same depth of understanding that a well-written news story can.

It is at these times that readers learn to value what a newspaper bring to stories.

* * *

Returning readers’ telephone calls is a big part of the Reader Representative role. It involves diligent effort, patience, and sometimes a fair amount of courage.

Returning every telephone call used to be a matter of pride to me. Now, I readily admit, that’s no longer always possible.

Generally readers who leave messages about corrections don’t get a return call. Instead we just run the correction.

If readers call about a delivery issue, I send that to someone who can help. Readers who call about other newspaper issues are referred to those departments.

Realistically, if I can’t help the reader, I don’t always call back because they need to talk to the person who can be of the most help.

Then there are the readers we simply can’t help.

One who called a couple of weeks ago left a long message about everything we are doing wrong: the paper’s not big enough; we aren’t covering the stories they want us to cover; we are making too many errors; he doesn’t like our puzzles; he doesn’t like our comics; he doesn’t like our markets page; he doesn’t like our opinions page; and he thinks some of our stories are “stupid.” Frankly, I don’t know what to say other than, “OK.”

I can explain the relationship between advertising sales and the size of the newspaper, ?something addressed in this space in the past. I can explain our news philosophy; tell them how to get information they think they are missing; talk about deadlines; costs; the changing face of newspapers. I can explain many things, but I can’t make someone who says he hates us, like us.

I did call him back, but he wasn’t available, so I left a message that I was sorry we disappointed him and that he was unhappy with his newspaper.

We listen to readers and consider them in making decisions, but we also recognize not everybody will be happy with everything we do.

So, I will continue to do my best to return calls and have conversations with frustrated readers, but recognize, while we value your opinions, the world has changed and we’ve changed with it. Suggesting that we do things the way we used to do them is not only foolhardy, it’s unrealistic in today’s business market.

* * *

While we’re discussing reader telephone calls, I’ll share another concern.
Keep in mind the Reader Representative role is to help with problems or concerns involving The Enterprise.

If you just hate the current administration in Washington (or Austin); if you want to complain about specific ethnic or religious groups; if you have a pothole in your street; or if your neighbor’s dog keeps coming into your yard, I’m not the one to call.

I can’t fix every problem you have with The Enterprise, but I can try to address them. If you want to talk politics or complain in general, you might try a letter to the editor or take advantage of the opportunity to join our online community of commentors. Blogs such as “The Bayou” are the perfect place to vent your spleen.

We have other page 2A columns, such as Mike Smith’s “Driver’s Seat,” on Mondays or Amy Moore’s “Asked and Answered” on Fridays, that can help with some questions or problems you might have.

Quick solution caused brief uproar

Fewer than a dozen readers called or e-mailed complaints last week when we made a last-minute decision to omit the Markets Page from our Thursday edition in favor of more space for sports coverage. It was, after all, the first game of the 2009 World Series.

Although we’d love to keep all of our readers happy all of the time, sometimes that’s an impossibility. We have to make difficult decisions. We knew some readers would be unhappy with our choice, but we made it anyway. All who called to complain had their reasons for being upset, but I thought the most significant of the complaints came from a business teacher who said she used the market page in her classroom — something we’re always glad to hear.

The readers seemed relieved to know that it wasn’t a long-term plan, but rather a quick solution to an unforeseen problem.

Will we do it again? Maybe, if circumstances warrant it. But we currently have no plans to make it a regular occurrence or a permanent omission.

In making such decisions, we always consider whether information in question is local and available in a better or more timely form through another source.

•

Enterprise reporters and editors spent a day last week learning about investigative reporting using public records available through Freedom of Information requests.

Guest speaker Brian Collister, Emmy-winning investigative reporter for WOAI-TV 4 in San Antonio, visited The Enterprise to conduct the all-day sessions.

An active member of the national Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) and a member of the board of directors of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, Collister has spent most of his career as an investigative reporter.

Although our processes in general might be less formal than in some other professions, we make an effort to continue learning how to improve our skills on a regular basis.

In a changing profession, the need to upgrade our skills is unrelenting.

•

Both our print readers and Web readers might have noticed that we have started to publish advertisements for a new book, a collection of columns by longtime Enterprise columnist Jane McBride.

“Grace, Gratitude & Generosity: A Family Portrait,” offers fans the opportunity to re-read favorites or to share them with friends and family.

Go to janemcbridebook.com to order online. Online orders also include free shipping.

•

Sudoku fans continue to call and e-mail with complaints about the size of the squares in the new version of the puzzle we began to run last month.

We DO have plans to change the puzzle and make the squares larger, but, just as we don’t make quick decisions, sometimes we aren’t able to move quickly in making these kinds of changes.

Bear with us for a couple more weeks and we’ll get the puzzle back to a more usable form. Meanwhile, several Sudoku fans have offered seconds on the comment from the reader who dubbed it “absolutely useless” in its current form.

•

If you didn’t cast your ballot during early voting, don’t forget to vote today.

A big part of my job is handling complaints from readers who object to virtually any change we make in the paper, but the reality is our whole world is awash with changes these days.

One of the negative changes is a growth of voter apathy. Don’t become part of that apathy. Today’s election is about amendments to the state constitution. Although we encourage every citizen to vote and express their own opinion on the issues, if you need more information, The Enterprise has made suggestions on its editorial page and Web site: tinyurl.com/BallotAdvice.

Reporter Mike D. Smith also wrote an informative article about the election in Monday’s edition. That’s available online at tinyurl.com/StateAmends

Take the time to become educated about the issues and vote today.