Last Updated: May 29, 1999
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On copy editing
Staff communication is transformed with an in-house
intranet system; as it replaces paper newsletters, it gives everyone 24-hour
access to databases and computer tools
The modern newsroom is not complete without its own intranet site to
keep the staff informed with online postings about everything from style
changes to birth announcements.
The intranet site — accessible only to staff members on the newsroom’s
computer system — serves two essential purposes:
It is a read-only bulletin board on which announcements, reports, memos
and other text-based materials are posted for the staff. This function
replaces newsletters and memos — with electronic speed. Not only does the
intranet save paper and time, but no one can complain about not getting
the word.
It is home to databases that serve as a research tool of magnificent
breadth. Staffers can search the databases for information they need to
do their jobs, such as voter-registration lists. Here, the possibilities
are almost limitless.
Since the advent of computers in newsrooms a quarter-century ago, most
papers have found a way to post bits of research information on the mainframe,
such as the home phones and addresses of staff members. Now, some papers
are taking that rudimentary system and building something with far more
information and user-friendly access features.
The Philadelphia Inquirer decided to build an intranet site at the same
time a new Unisys computer system was installed to replace its 20-year-old
Atex system. A significant byproduct of the new PC-based system was that
staffers in bureaus and suburban newsrooms would be using the same system
as those in the downtown office. That meant that these staffers would finally
be looped into the downtown messaging system.
Tom Torok of the Inquirer’s computer-assisted-reporting team was the
key player in the project, designing the entire system. Another staffer
took charge of administering the new system, monitoring its content and
keeping it up to date.
“It’s like giving birth to a baby,” Torok said. “It has to be fed and
cared for.” He makes the essential point that nothing should be placed
on the intranet unless someone is specifically charged with the responsibility
of keeping the information updated. If the content gets out of date, the
staff loses confidence in the intranet as a newsroom resource.
A small newsroom could set up an initial intranet site to serve about
a dozen simultaneous users on a dedicated desktop computer. However, Torok
cautions that such a system should not be considered a permanent solution.
The newsroom should seriously consider investing in a server and server
software.
The actual size of the server should be determined by how much data
a newsroom wants to place in it and by how much money a newsroom can afford
to spend on a server. The number of staffers who use the site is less important
in determining a server’s size.
Torok believes a newspaper should get a server as big as it can afford.
“Over time,” Torok predicted, “the storage space will be filled.” He suggests
a minimum of 512 megabytes of RAM, 15 gigabytes of disk space, and a disk
array controller to allow for some redundancy in storing data.
Server prices can range from several thousand dollars to $50,000 or
more. The server used for the intranet at the Inquirer cost $12,000.
The Inquirer and its news research library rely on Microsoft products
for their intranet software. They use the Windows NT Server operating system,
SQL Server, the Internet Information Server and the Index Server.
Torok warns that desktop database programs, such as Access, FoxPro or
Paradox, should not be used for an intranet. He said they would use up
the server’s resources and cause a bottleneck.
A method has to be created to write the text that appears on the site’s
“bulletin board.” Torok decided not to use the common HTML-based pages
for this purpose. Instead, the Inquirer system employs Active Server Pages,
using what is called scripting to build HTML pages.
As Inquirer staffers are instructed on using the new Unisys system,
they also learn about the intranet site and how to use it. The site is
quickly becoming popular.
Reporter Craig McCoy said the site’s voter database and city employee
database were invaluable as quick-reference tools for locating people.
Columnist Tom Ferrick said he saw it as “easy one-stop shopping” for research,
with its calculators, the voter database, and links to other research sites.
Editorial writer Russell Cooke said he liked it as “an effective way to
get out the word on training, new hires and other announcements.”
Foreman, a longtime editor at The Philadelphia Inquirer, is now distinguished
professional-in-residence at the Penn State College of Communications.
For help in setting up an intranet site, contact the National Institute
for Computer Assisted Reporting, www. nicar.org. Tom Torok can be reached
at 215/854-5564 or at tom.torok@
phillynews.com
