Last Updated: July 28, 2000
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Institute for Journalism Excellence
Times’ Web operation offered me many lessons
By Arati Korwar
At The New York Times on the Web last summer, the editor introduced
me to his staff as the “professorial intern.” This designation is not nearly
as clear as intern, visitor, free-lancer or reporter. A professor who is
also an intern has no natural place to slip into on the first day of work.
I suspected the staff wondered whether I was there to observe them like
an anthropologist, critique them like a consultant or lecture them like
a professor.
For some time I had no physical place there, either. Daily, I moved
from one cubicle to another, borrowing the work area of someone who was
out sick or had the day off.
Within a week, I found my place. Not only did I have my own desk and
computer, I also established what my odd title meant: I was there to work
hard and lead some discussions with the staff in return for getting practical
training and first-hand experiences to take back to my campus.
For my first two weeks, I worked at night as a producer to help get
the next day’s newspaper on the Web site. The entire newspaper goes on
the Web each night, and each producer is responsible for a couple of sections
of the paper. I started out producing the letters to the editor, editorials
and op-ed and later progressed to putting up the business and metro sections.
Along with the other producers, I arrived at the office at 4:30 p.m., worked,
ate take-out dinner and worked until 2:30 a.m.
For my remaining four weeks at the Web site, I worked two nights a week
as a producer. Three days a week I went exploring or worked in other areas.
I spent time with the multimedia producer, who showed me how he formats
video for the Web and how to make 360-degree still images. I learned to
manage the bulletin boards for the technology section of the Web site and
helped guide discussion on such issues as Internet regulation and the Microsoft
antitrust trial. I also gained insight into the Web site’s traffic patterns
from its research analysts. To all of this, I brought the eyes and ears
of an outsider and asked lots of questions, offering opinions when asked.
Some of my favorite work was updating the Web site during the day. I
wrote headlines and chose photos for the home page, as well as edited wire
stories. I remember well the days of updating the story about John F. Kennedy
Jr.’s plane crash, of watching closely for new details but publishing only
when reliable information was available.
In addition to learning, I did some teaching at the Times. I led some
discussions on topics relevant to the work at the Web site, such as copyright
law and research about how people use the Web. The sessions gave the staff
a break from their day-to-day duties to think about some of the larger
issues of their profession.
Upon my return to Baton Rouge for the fall semester, I immediately put
my experience at the Times to use. For the first time, LSU’s journalism
program offered a course in Internet news production, and I was one of
the instructors. I was able to share my new knowledge about online journalism
practice, from the importance of good editing on the Web to the way to
adjust a photo so that it looks good with different Web browsers. My students
appreciated my practical, recent experience in this exciting medium.
I fulfilled the goals of my fellowship at the Times, but I gained much
more than I expected. I sipped drinks after work with some of the producers
in the early morning hours in Times Square. I spent the Fourth of July
on Coney Island with one staff member. And I helped the Web site win on
Seersucker Day at The New York Times. A staff member and I glued blue seersucker
fabric to about 50 pairs of cheap sunglasses. We handed them out, and the
site had the largest number of employees of any department wearing seersucker
the day of the contest.
I applaud and thank the leaders of newspapers for participating in this
ASNE program, but not only because they help professors teach their students
better. The newsrooms that take part are bold and progressive, willing
to take on a stranger from another place for six weeks and ready to foster
the ongoing conversation between the news profession and academia.
Korwar is an assistant professor of journalism at Louisiana State
University in Baton Rouge.
