This issue: Online news from Mark Briggs

Photographers on the frontline: St. Petersburg Times' shooters give insights into covering Hurricane Katrina on a Web site. Click here for details on this unusual and moving project. Click here for more.

Philadelphia shines online: Several interesting online efforts are shining through the angst over job cuts in Philadelphia, including one that seeks advice from bloggers and an online only project on favorite teachers. Click here for more.

Online awards: For a link to winners of the Online Journalism Awards, click here.

Tops online: For a link to a site that tracks top news Web sites, click here.

Inspiration: Need some encouragement amid news reports of the end of our profession? Click here for a viewpoint on the new era of opportunity for journalists.

AP cooperation: Members cited for help when news breaks. Click here for more.

HURRICANE KATRINA THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHERS' EYES, WORDS
The St. Petersburg Times unveiled a multimedia presentation featuring a mix of compelling images and interviews from several staff photographers. While hurricane photo galleries are neither new nor different, this presentation breaks new ground with the level of personal insight shared by the photographers. Shooters are notoriously camera-shy, but the Times photographers really open up and take the reader to a rare place in newspaper journalism: inside the mind of a photojournalist in the middle of a natural disaster.

"Psychologists were going to debrief our reporters and photographers to allow them to share in a group setting the personal and professional challenges of covering such an event. I believe that was the genesis for the idea of interviewing the photographers," online news director Kevin McGeever said. "I thought their sharing could be powerful and valuable."

It was both. How did it come to be?

Over the course of a month, the paper had at least two dozen reporters and photographers in the hurricane-affected areas. In late September, the photo department approached the managing and executive editors about publishing a special section of Katrina photography in the newspaper.

Executive Editor Neil Brown said let's do it online.

Given the green light, the online staff set out to make something memorable. Online editor Brendan Watson interviewed the photographers and collected their edited selections for the galleries. "Brendan did a remarkable job," McGeever said. "I think the depth of the photographers' comments speaks to Brendan's ability as an interviewer. Each interview was roughly 30 minutes long — times eight photographers — but the finished conversations were three to six minutes."

Check it out:
http://sptimes.com/2005/webspecials05/katrinaphotospecial/index.shtml

Seen — or produced — some great multimedia lately? Send me a link: mark.briggs@thenewstribune.com.

FINDING THEIR WAY IN PHILADELPHIA
As most in the industry know, The Philadelphia Inquirer has been through some tough times lately. Daniel Rubin, a staff blogger and speaker at last month's APME conference, described the mood following the massive newsroom layoffs: "You could put out the best newspaper in America with the people we've helped walk out the door over the 17 years I've been here. I think we once did."

Interesting, then, that the newspaper invited a group of bloggers to comment on the newspaper and suggest improvements. Rubin's post about that session, the layoffs, the APME conference and a similar conversation on a Phildelphia Daily News blog called Attytood — and the comments — is worth a read.

http://blogs.philly.com/blinq/2005/10/conversations_a.html

An example of what's going right at the Inquirer was recently honored: a multimedia project called "My Favorite Teacher." Planned to coincide with the newspaper's School Report Card, the Web site solicited and received about 35 entries from both adults and current elementary and high school students. All were published online, "but the comments were so heartfelt that I decided to try to reunite as many of the adult students and teachers as possible," said Sherry Howard, online editor of Phillynews.com.

It took some energy and old-fashioned shoe-leather reporting, but Howard tracked down 14 pairs of teachers and students and reunited them. Inquirer photographer Clem Murray set up interviews with both teachers and students, photographed them together (and retrieved old photographs from them), and recorded audio (which Howard edited).

"It was one of the most satisfying experiences I have had as a journalist," Howard said. "We all have teachers who touched our lives and made us feel special."

Check out the presentation here:
http://go.philly.com/favteacher

Read background here:
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/special_packages/phillycom_teases/10304831.htm

Amazingly, none of this appeared in print. It's inspiring to see innovation and original content coming out of the interactive side of the newspaper — we need more of it — but when the interactive folks come up with (and execute!) a great idea, print should publish a piece of it. A picture package with some of the reunions and a teaser to the Web would have been all that's needed. Don't forget about all your print readers who don't habitually turn to your Web site — if you haven't been publishing original content online, then they haven't had a reason to visit.

CITIZEN JOURNALISM SITE BREAKS INTO AWARD POOL
NewWest.net, a citizen journalism site, joined The New York Times and the Spokesman-Review of Spokane, Wash., in earning top honors at the 2005 Online News Association awards last month. The site has only been operational for eight months but won two awards.

("My Favorite Teacher" was a finalist in the service journalism award.)

For full list of winners, go here:
http://journalist.org/2005conference/archives/000373.php

ABC NEWS TOPS GOOGLE NEWS SOURCES
Google News is a phenomenon that was once disdained by traditional journalists (it's edited by robots!) but has evolved into a powerful reporting tool and a great reader service. But the mystery of how one news source is used instead of another — especially larger — news source is a cause of major consternation for reporters who can now compete with colleagues that work outside their circulation area.

Wonder how Google ranks the sources? A Web site called Private Radio has created a fascinating tool which produces an unofficial ranking of the top world-wide news stories and online news publications.

ABC News was ranked first on Nov. 9, but Reuters was in the top spot in October.

Check it out here:
http://www.privateradio.org/blog/i/google-news/reports/us/200511/sources.php

SHOULD YOUR WEB SITE PICK THE A1 LINEUP?
A self-described "frank-talking critic" of newspapers, Bob Cauthorn, has launched a new blog (along with some other industry analysts and consultants) that is worth tracking. He also was the subject of an Online Journalism Review interview where he repeats a point he makes often: newspaper editors should be paying a lot more attention to their Web site traffic when it comes to picking stories for A1. "If the editors are aligned with their readers every story on the front page will at least be a top five story," Cauthorn said. "Or at least in the top 10."

Read the full interview:
http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/050825cauthorn/

Rebuilding media blog:
http://www.corante.com/rebuildingmedia/

A POSITIVE OUTLOOK FOR NEWSPAPERS, JOURNALISM
Recent circulation reports got you wondering about the future? Rich Gordon, a professor at Northwestern, offers hope. A recent essay fully embraces the role new technology should play in the longevity — and possibly revival — of newspaper companies in the United States.

"I, for one, do not believe that journalism's future is gloomy," Gordon writes. "In fact, I think that when we look back on the early years of the 21st Century, we will recognize it as a period of exploding opportunity for journalists and the start of an exciting new era for journalism. I also think it's quite possible that we'll look back on these years as a period when a better informed public began to emerge, thanks to new communications channels and technologies."

Read the full story:
http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/051027gordon/index.cfm

AP COOPERATION KUDOS
AP's newspapers, broadcast stations and online operations are the news cooperatives eyes and ears when local news breaks. A quick tip, a quote, additional information, an image shared within moments that news develops helps all AP members receive the fastest, most complete news report available. APME recognizes outstanding member cooperation with Instant Citations. These members are being recognized for their recent help:

— WMIX Radio, Mount Vernon, Ill., for first word on an accident at Mount Vernon Speedway that left two people dead.

— The Dispatch of Moline, Ill., and the Rock Island Argus for help on a high-profile murder trial in the Quad Cities.

— The Daily Egyptian, the student newspaper at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill., for sharing with AP an e-mail to SIU faculty and staff that gave AP and its members confirmation of the university system's new president more than an hour before the official announcement.

— The Paris (Tenn.) Post-Intelligencer for sending images and details when a tornado damaged homes and businesses and injured at least a dozen people in western Tennessee Nov. 15.

— The Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel for its help covering a high school shooting in Jacksonboro Nov. 8. The newspaper quickly shared a photo of a victim arriving at a hospital and gave AP access to all of its photos, including photos of the student suspect.

— The Salem (Ore.) Statesman Journal for its assistance in covering a stand-off at the Marion County courthouse Nov. 12. Senior Editor Richard Aguirre called the Portland bureau to alert AP to the incident and updated the story repeatedly during the course of the stand-off. The newspaper sent numerous photographs for use by other members.

— The Corvallis (Ore.) Gazette-Times for helping to confirm an arrest in the disappearance of 19-year-old Brook Wilberger. Reporter Becky Waldrop persuaded law enforcement officials to share information with AP as well as with the Gazette-Times.

— KXMC-TV, Minot, N.D., where News Director Jim Olson gave AP first word of an out-of-court settlement in a major case stemming from a 2002 train derailment west of Minot. It was the first of a series of settlements involving hundreds of people who sued the railroad after the derailment sent a deadly cloud of anhydrous ammonia over the city.

— KCJB Radio, Minot, N.D., for helping report the story of the death of an 18-year-old boy at a mobile home Nov. 8 and arrest of a suspect.

— Several North Dakota members are being recognized for their help when a major winter storm blanketed parts of the state with as much as two feet of snow Oct. 5. The Dickinson (N.D.) Press quickly provided photos; the Minot (N.D.) Daily News contributed its news and photo coverage; KFGO radio, Fargo, shared stories from truckers and travelers stranded at truck stops.

— The Tribune-Star of Terre Haute, Ind., where reporter Joanne Hammer provided AP with on-cycle information from a Nov. 1 news conference involving the slayings of a woman and her two children.

— The Evansville (Ind.) Courier and Press and local radio station WIKY-FM for contributing details and images when a tornado did extensive damage and killed at least 22 people in southwestern Indiana Nov. 6.

— Ric Hanson, news director at KJAN-AM, Atlantic, Iowa, for providing first word of a fatal car crash in which Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gregg Connell was ticketed for running a stop sign.

— The Huthinson (Kan.) News for help covering the fraud trial of the co-founder of one of the nation's premier space museums.

— The Daily World, Aberdeen, Wash., for its tip that a fugitive in the deaths of three college students had been caught in Ireland.

— Television station KCWY and the Star-Tribune of Casper, Wyo., for their help with word that Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee was burned by pyrotechnics during a concert.

— The St. Joseph (Mo.) for helping cover a deadly explosion at a northwest Missouri pork processing plant.

— The Brainerd (Minn.) Dispatch for quickly alerting the AP when a suspect in a woman's death unexpectedly pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 21 years in prison.

— The Chronicle-Tribune of Marion, Ind., for quickly sharing information and photographs about an explosion at a former Thomson television picture tube plant.

Today's installment was written by Mark Briggs, online editor of The News Tribune in Tacoma, Wash.

To receive e-mail notification of new APME Updates, write to APME@ap.org

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