The Editors’ Exchange

The Web edition of The Editors' Exchange offers a compendium of interesting and imitatable innovations from the world of daily newspapers. In posting it here, ASNE makes the ideas available to the general public for use in all sorts of publications, including newspapers. The printed version of The Editors’ Exchange includes the names of editors who are willing to share information with other editors. However, because the Web version is archival — and not current — Internet readers should not contact the contributing newspapers or ASNE for examples or illustrative material. Thanks... and enjoy!

Giving readers the power to choose
As electric service, like long distance service is deregulated, more and more people will be asked to make a decision about their power company with little or no information on how to do it.

Pennsylvania was one of the first states in the union to deregulate electricity, so The Morning Call of Allentown (circulation 130,500) planned a story, sidebar and chart to help its readers make the decision. Then things changed.
“We found out on the Tuesday afternoon before Sunday publication that, because of strong advertiser interest, our Sunday section would be twice as large as usual,” writes Business Editor Eloise DeHaan, “The other eight stories and sidebars were assigned by Wednesday morning and completed Friday in time for Sunday publication. We have a great group of reporters here.”

It made a great section, too. So great that the newspaper decided to repackage and reprint several thousand as a public service.

Included in the guide are stories on the changes and where Pennsylvania is nationally in power deregulation, charts on the power companies, a look at how major suppliers generate power, a glossary of terms used (“off-peak,” “resellers,” “transition charge,” etc.) and a worksheet to determine which company is giving the best deal.

Transcripts add depth to site
For two trials of intense local interest, the Sarasota (Fla.) Herald-Tribune (circulation 110,000) decided to post transcripts of the trials on its Web site each day as they transpired. The postings, which judges allowed as experiments, were labeled with warnings that they contained errors that would be corrected for the certified transcript. “We think this is a great way to provide a level of access that we cannot provide in printed pages,” said Executive Editor Diane McFarlin. “You can run a limitless amount on the Web site. This is a perfect place to put it.”

Growing pains
According to the Deseret News of Salt Lake City (circulation 61,000), at the current growth rate, the population of the metropolitan area will grow 24 percent in 10 years. Growth has already put a strain on Utah’s schools, roads and infrastructure. This increase will only worsen it. The newspaper tackled the subject first by polling Utahns on growth, including the role of government, the origin of the new people (most are born there, contrary to what people believed), and if steps should be taken to curb it. Next, in a 12-part series, the News took that poll data and examined growth’s effect on education, crime, the environment, the rural experience and others. Finally, the paper asked community leaders for specific solutions to growth problems and summarized them.

‘Recruiting’ third-graders
Managers of the Times Record News, Wichita Falls, Texas, (circulation 38,000) visited an elementary school to teach the children what is involved in publishing and distributing a newspaper by helping them publish the Third Grade Gazette. After some introductory material, the third-graders were split into groups of reporters, photographers, designers, ad salespeople and distributors. The reporters, shadowed by four newspaper staffers including Editor Carroll Wilson, wrote four stories (including “Animal books among kids’ favorites”) accompanied by photos taken with a digital camera. Ads were “sold” by one group and, following a news meeting, the paper was put together by a page designer.

Pinhole camera contest
Lafayette, Colo., was having an oatmeal festival, and the local newspaper, the Lafayette News (1,700 weekly), wanted a contest to tie in to it. By surfing the Web, the staff came up with directions on how to build an oatmeal canister pinhole camera and, in addition to holding a workshop on building the cameras, sponsored a contest with a prize of a $500 savings bond for the best picture taken with one. “The girl who won it went nuts with it with some great photographs,” said General Manager Doug Connarroe. “Next year, I think we’re going to make crystal radio sets.”

Performing arts by kids for kids
Youngsters produce a monthly 4-page tab at the Santa Barbara (Calif.) News-Press (circulation 45,000) in association with a local theater arts foundation. It is inserted into the weekend entertainment section. Kids write reviews and original compositions under the guidance of the foundation’s staff. “There are a vast number of kids-oriented sections and pages, I know,” writes Executive Editor Allen Parsons, “but I'm not acquainted with many that deal strictly with performing arts.”

Letter of the day (and month)
Editorial page editors at Florida Today, Melbourne, (circulation 84,500) highlight letters daily to make the page a “must-read.” Each letter of the day is a candidate to be letter of the month. A reception is held each year to honor those 12 writers. Additionally, the importance of letters is stressed at community meetings and an annual workshop. The effort seems to be working, since the paper now gets 8,000 letters per year.

Improving coverage of Native Americans
Editors and reporters can learn about Native American culture and ways to improve coverage of more than 500 federally recognized tribes at “Covering Native America from A to Z,” a one-day seminar in Tempe, Ariz., prior to the Native American Journalists Association conference. Participants in the June 17 program ($50) will receive a reporters’ source book — “100 Questions, 500 Nations” — that will contain lots of listings and contacts, as well as background information on American Indian issues.

Newspaper job bank expands
Advertise both editorial and business-side job openings at your newspaper on the expanded and redesigned National Diversity Newspaper Job Bank. The revamped Internet site recently secured a new sponsor, the Newspaper Association of America, to join with the founding partners, The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville) and Morris Communications Corp. The updated Web site lists hundreds of job openings throughout the country that can be searched by newspaper circulation size, job interest, or geographical region. Also, the job bank links recruiters and job-seekers to other newspaper career Web sites, along with information on regional job fairs and job hunting tips.

A paper’s own role in race
The Winston-Salem (N.C.) Journal (circulation 91,500) recently completed an eight-part series on race relations that included an unblinking review of the daily’s coverage of the African-American community over the past century, as well as a look at the newspaper’s efforts to diversify its own staff. Managing Editor Carl Crothers said the “Dividing Lines” series not only wanted to examine race relations in the community, but also “tell the inside story of what had gone on here at the newspaper and what problems exist today.” Requests for reprints of the series have been high — about 3,000 copies distributed since late April. The series has resulted in more minority sources and contacts, and broadened staff awareness of the community’s interests.

Sharing ideas on diversity
Want to know what other newspapers are doing to make their newsrooms and coverage more diverse? Check The Poynter Institute’s “Media Diversity Beyond 2000” Web site. The searchable database offers summaries from many newspapers across the country in four areas: recruiting; hiring and training; coverage and content; workplace climate; and community impact. The site also offers links to diversity-related sites. The project also includes “Models of Excellence,” which will profile media diversity efforts that have achieved the most success.

Develop talented professionals
Editors can nominate talented minority newsroom professionals for all-expenses-paid fellowships at nationally renowned journalism training centers through the Newspaper Association of America. Forty-one fellowships are available in areas such as new media, editing, science writing, design, team management, ethics and photojournalism.

Kids’ drawings on Page 1
Not every newspaper could do it, but The Daily Dispatch of Douglas, Ariz., (circulation 2,400) puts children’s drawings on its front page often. Michael Parnell, editor and publisher of the newspaper, writes of the drawings: “They’re exceptionally popular, easy to do and serve to entice parents and other relatives to buy the paper and give the kids forum for their talents.” The topics vary, but are always variations on “What I like best about ... .” Topics have included the weather, summer vacation, school, etc. The newspaper gets them by asking the appropriate school district official (“and they roll in”).