By CHIP MINEMYER
The (Johnstown, Pa.) Tribune-Democrat

(Posted on Oct. 3, 2005)

Minemyer

It is the daily track meet of newspaper editors.

We scramble from bed to shower to the office trying to think up innovative ways to contend with myriad competitors — from broadcast media to local and national Web sites, and even online discussion groups.

We spend considerable time and energy on new Web content and spiffy print design. We strive to give busy readers bursts of information in easily digestible nibbles. We splash color across our pages and turn our Internet sites into dizzying parades of pop-ups and electronic chatter.

And while those things are important and becoming increasingly pertinent, newspapers — and especially small, community papers — continue to have a clear advantage when simply doing what they have always done best.

That's telling important stories with depth and authority.

There continues to be no other medium where news consumers can get the full story.

When people want to know what's happening right now, they turn to cable TV and the Internet. When they want to know what it all means, they turn to newspapers.

So, amid the racing about to stay out front with technology and presentation, we must occasionally step back and glance at the road map to make sure we're still on the right track.

Here at The Tribune-Democrat, we began the year by defining the areas of news we wanted to own in our market. What master narratives are at work in our region? What story lines are present that really touch the lives of every person living in the communities we serve? We defined several.

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For the city of Johnstown and the towns that surround it, the demise of the steel and mining industries has been the biggest story for 30 years.

But there was a related story that had only been addressed in dribs and drabs. Streams and rivers — running orange with acid-mine drainage — carried the legacy of this region's manufacturing heyday. Generations of Johnstowners had grown up thinking clear, sparkling water teaming with aquatic life was merely the stuff of folklore and history books.

However, gradually and away from the spotlight, a change was happening. Passive acid-mine treatments were pulling deadly metals from the waterways. Fish were returning to the rivers and their feeder streams. Whitewater rafting was a growing recreational draw.

We had a story with everything you could want: A longtime pollution problem was being challenged, and the results would be far-reaching for the local economy and quality of life.

Clearly, improvements to our water resources would touch every person, every community.

So we pulled together a team of reporters and photographers. We planned the package — developing and revising story budgets and setting deadlines for words and images. And after weeks of reporting, picture-taking and graphics-building, we published a two-day series — "River Revival" — on Aug. 28-29.

The package has generated a strong positive response from readers as well as from environmental groups, businesses and even government officials. One longtime reader — a retired local official — called the package the best thing this newspaper has done in a decade. Others commended us on providing a complete and knowledgeable account of a critical local issue.

It is the kind of series many newspapers do, but don't do often enough, or sometimes well enough. We took a local concern, explored its history and impact, interviewed the key players and those affected. And, most importantly, we told readers what the future might hold, and what factors could tilt the scales in one direction or another.

And we urged readers to get involved — to learn more about the issues, call their representatives concerning funding for cleanup efforts, or even join a local conservation group.

The key was delineating a great local story, then committing enough resources to tell it well.

The same principal applies to coverage of big breaking stories. Although you don't have the advantage of planning, you still target story lines and mobilize sufficient troops to get the job done.

And we did strive to make design and presentation central to the series. Early on we targeted informational graphics and possible photo options. We built in boxes to help readers navigate the package each day, and to carry their interest from one day to the next. And we played great photographs well, allowing them to dominate the package on A1.

But underneath all the glitz was a firm foundation — an important story, well reported and written in an interesting and accessible manner.

If that's not your formula for great journalism, you may be left — as a friend of mine in the industry likes to say – with a lot of sizzle and not much steak.

Chip Minemyer is the editor of The Tribune-Democrat in Johnstown, Pa.