Comments on: “Honesty and Competency” http://michigan.collegenewsroom.org/2010/01/31/honesty-and-competency/ A network for collegiate newsrooms to collaborate, share and learn. Sun, 29 Aug 2010 00:46:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Aaron http://michigan.collegenewsroom.org/2010/01/31/honesty-and-competency/comment-page-1/#comment-54 Aaron Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:09:30 +0000 http://www.collegenewsroom.org/?p=190#comment-54 If good writing and photography were what made newspapers work we wouldn't have lost any in the past decade. Maurer is about 90% wrong. Newspapers worked because they had a monopoly on the information. The truth is they still DO in the sense that they are the dominant news gathering organizations. But now they offer it free, and open to be copied, re-transmitted, linked to and all in association with advertising that is worth far less per reader. News'papers' are becoming less sustainable because of the ease of access to the same information faster. Control the information, control the dollars. But the bifurcation of news will come first ...pure facts are and will be free once made public. Writing, analysis, exclusive video, exclusive photos, in depth information, all these will cost something. In THAT arena good writing and good journalism will matter. If good writing and photography were what made newspapers work we wouldn’t have lost any in the past decade. Maurer is about 90% wrong.

Newspapers worked because they had a monopoly on the information.
The truth is they still DO in the sense that they are the dominant news gathering organizations. But now they offer it free, and open to be copied,
re-transmitted, linked to and all in association with advertising that is worth far less per reader.

News’papers’ are becoming less sustainable because of the ease of access to the same information faster. Control the information, control the dollars.
But the bifurcation of news will come first …pure facts are and will be free once made public. Writing, analysis, exclusive video, exclusive photos, in depth information, all these will cost something. In THAT arena good writing and good journalism will matter.

]]> By: fox http://michigan.collegenewsroom.org/2010/01/31/honesty-and-competency/comment-page-1/#comment-45 fox Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:52:51 +0000 http://www.collegenewsroom.org/?p=190#comment-45 His point was largely that there is an obsession with new technology - that too many reporters are not reporting, too many copy editors are not editing, etc,... His point was largely that there is an obsession with new technology — that too many reporters are not reporting, too many copy editors are not editing, etc,…

]]> By: Dan H http://michigan.collegenewsroom.org/2010/01/31/honesty-and-competency/comment-page-1/#comment-43 Dan H Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:56:15 +0000 http://www.collegenewsroom.org/?p=190#comment-43 I like Maurer's attitude. It is definitely one that is going by the wayside. I think a newspaper does need to concentrate on technology in today's industry, though. As long as reporters focus on writing quality stories, I don't see why a web developer can't spend his time worrying about tweets and page hits. In fact, that's exactly what he should be concentrating on. Let the writers write, let the copy editors copy edit and let the web people concentrate on the web. These are all pretty basic positions for any major publication today, and I think web presence is important. I like Maurer’s attitude. It is definitely one that is going by the wayside. I think a newspaper does need to concentrate on technology in today’s industry, though. As long as reporters focus on writing quality stories, I don’t see why a web developer can’t spend his time worrying about tweets and page hits. In fact, that’s exactly what he should be concentrating on. Let the writers write, let the copy editors copy edit and let the web people concentrate on the web. These are all pretty basic positions for any major publication today, and I think web presence is important.

]]> By: fox http://michigan.collegenewsroom.org/2010/01/31/honesty-and-competency/comment-page-1/#comment-42 fox Mon, 01 Feb 2010 02:11:08 +0000 http://www.collegenewsroom.org/?p=190#comment-42 I really liked the honesty and competence comment from Maurer. He said that in reference to trying to be unbiased in reporting - which too often comes out reading like bland and boring. Instead, put away the obsession with unbiased partly because it's impossible to achieve, and go for writing that is honest to the information and to readers and shows competence of the facts and the situation at hand. Writing that fits the bill will be engaging and worthwhile to a lot of readers. I really liked the honesty and competence comment from Maurer. He said that in reference to trying to be unbiased in reporting — which too often comes out reading like bland and boring. Instead, put away the obsession with unbiased partly because it’s impossible to achieve, and go for writing that is honest to the information and to readers and shows competence of the facts and the situation at hand. Writing that fits the bill will be engaging and worthwhile to a lot of readers.

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