BY CHRISTINA DENARDO
ASNE Reporter
Today's question: What is your major tip for newspapers confronting the economic downturn in the industry?
"Don't panic. We unfortunately have a tendency in this business to panic when we shouldn't. We need to do everything we can to protect the franchise." – Ed Jones, editor, The Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, Va.)
"Keep staff motivated and busy doing good journalism. We'll go through it and come out of it. We always have." – Karla Garrett Harshaw, editor, Springfield News-Sun (Springfield, Ohio) and senior editor for Cox Community Newspapers
"Focus on the journalism." – Diane McFarlin, publisher, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
"This is a cyclical phenomenon. Don't take radical action to solve a temporary problem. Don't cut what you spent years to build." – Andrew Barnes, chairman, St. Petersburg Times
"All of us have a responsibility to keep the financial problems as transparent to our readers as possible." – Earl Maucker, editor, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
"Tell the staff the truth. Lead them through the challenges we face." – Rich Oppel, editor, Austin American-Statesman
