Here are three reasons from a newspaper naysayer's perspective: 1. Declining print readership and advertising revenue shows newspapers are becoming obsolete as more people, especially younger generations, get their news online. 2. The internet allows for faster, more frequent updates which newspapers can't compete with due to their print cycles. People want real-time information. 3. While some papers have had success with paywalls, most people are accustomed to free news online and aren't willing to pay for content they've been getting freely. Paywalls may slow the revenue decline but won't stop it. Newspapers played an important role but times have changed. Their future is uncertain at best no matter how optimistic publishers are.

1. NEWSPAPERS – PART 1
NEWSROOMS, ROLES, STRUCTURES
JOUR 2300 – Principles of News
Professor Neil Foote
Mayborn School of Journalism

2. 2
Newspapers: Key Concepts
• Newspapers are highly profitable businesses, but they are
facing an uncertain future because fewer and fewer young
people seem to be reading them regularly.
• One of the major trends for newspapers during the last
half of the 20th century was concentration of ownership;
that is, fewer and fewer companies are owning more and
more newspapers.
• Newspapers get revenue from two sources: 60 to 80
percent from advertising and 20 to 40 percent from
sales and circulation.
Source: http://www.ablongman.com/stovall1e/chap04/chap04.html

3. 3
The “Traditional” Cycle
• Daily news meetings in morning and afternoon
• Morning meeting discusses major stories
• Afternoon meeting discusses what goes on front
page and section fronts
• Weekend sections meetings typically on
Wednesday to discuss what’s going in Sunday’s
newspaper
• Reporters generate their own ideas OR are
assigned
• Editors are working on stories for the daily
newspaper, and many days in advance

4. 4
The “Traditional” Cycle cont.
• Reporters work independently throughout the day
• Coordinate with photographers and graphic artists
as needed
• File stories by mid to late afternoon
• Editors work on stories throughout the day, pushing
towards evening deadlines for various editions:
• One Star – prints by 7 pm
• Two Star – prints by 9 pm
• Three Star – prints by 11
• Final Edition – prints by 1 a.m.

5. 5
Need to Know Terms
• Circulation
• The average number of copies of a newspaper
distributed or sold in a given time period. Often
expressed as daily circulation (Monday-Saturday) or
Sunday circulation.
• Paywall
• A policy of limiting access to a website (or a part of a
website) to users who pay a fee or purchase a
subscription.
• E-editions
• E-editions include paid online subscriptions,
subscriptions on e-readers (Kindles, iPads, Nooks or
others) and e-replica editions (full online reproductions
of newspapers, typically viewed on a computer).
Source: http://stateofthemedia.org/2013/newspapers-glossary/

6. 6
Major Trends
Paywalls
• Digital pay plans are being adopted at 450 of the country’s
1,380 dailies and appear to be working not just at The
New York Times but also at small and mid-sized papers.1
• digital paywall movement has circulation revenues holding
steady or rising with the help of increases in print
subscriptions and single-copy price.
• Together with the other new revenue streams, these
added circulation revenues are rebalancing the industry’s
portfolio from its historic over-dependence on advertising.

7. 7
Today’s Strategy for Survival
Generate New Revenue
Paywalls
New Ad Models
New Distribution Methods
Online
Mobile
Reduce Expenses
Reduce Staff
Eliminate Sections

8. 8
Circulation Stabilizes

9. 9
Source:
http://www.audi
tedmedia.com/
news/blog/top25-usnewspapersfor-march2013.aspx

10. 10
• Newspapers may include digital editions — tablet or
smartphone apps, PDF replicas, metered or restricted-access
websites, or e-reader editions — in their total circulation.
• Digital editions now account for 19.3 percent of U.S. daily
newspapers’ total average circulation, up from 14.2 percent in
March 2012.
• Branded editions, which are newspaper-owned products
such as commuter, community, alternative-language or
Sunday-Select type newspapers, may also be included in total
circulation. Branded editions account for 5.1 percent of U.S.
newspapers’ total average circulation, up from 4.5 percent in
March 2012.
• - See more at: http://www.auditedmedia.com/news/blog/top-25us-newspapers-for-march-2013.aspx#sthash.yx9muM14.dpuf

11. 11
Print to Digital: The Slow Transition

12. 12
Shrinking Newsroom Workforce

13. 13
Why Newspapers Matter
• Newspaper Association of America – NAA
• Newspaper industry trade group
NAA Introductory Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=YBJ3S1InGXk&list=PL4cY4TLC
UVY_Mo9mHR_bBCL74FPE9a6-
Jim Moroney III, Chairman/Publisher,
Dallas Morning News
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE_4U2
0RPx8&list=PL4cY4TLCUVY_Mo9mHR_b
BCL74FPE9a-6-

14. 14
Newsroom Culture???: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuvENDtXWrc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo9DAhfPdoU
Source: http://www.ablongman.com/stovall1e/chap04/newspaperorgchart.html

15. 15
Defining Key Newsroom Positions
PUBLISHER
• The publisher is
responsible for all of the
operations of the
newspaper, both
editorial and business.
The main job of the
publisher is to see that
the newspaper remains
financially healthy.
EDITOR
The editor is responsible
for all of the editorial
content of the newspaper
and for the budgets and
money spent by the
editorial side of the
newspaper. Often on
smaller papers, the
publisher and editor are
the same person.
Source: http://www.ablongman.com/stovall1e/chap04/newspaperorgchart.html

16. 16
Defining Key Newsroom Positions
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR
• The editorial page editor is
responsible for the editorial
page and the "op-ed" page
of the newspaper. These
pages are where the
newspaper's editorials are
printed as well as letters to
the editor, columns by
syndicated columnists and
guest columns by local
people.
MANAGING EDITOR
The is the person who is in
charge of the day-to-day
production of the
newspaper.
Source: http://www.ablongman.com/stovall1e/chap04/newspaperorgchart.html

17. 17
Defining Key Newsroom Positions
CITY EDITOR
• The city editor -sometimes called the
metro editor -- is in
charge of the news
coverage of the area in
which the newspaper is
located. That position is
one of the most
important on the staff.
The city editor usually
has the largest staff and
assigns most of the local
news reporters.
NEWS REPORTER
A news reporter rather
information about news
stories in the local area. A
beat reporter covers the
same subject or location
all the time; a general
assignment reporter
covers any story assigned
by the city editor or
assistant city editor.
Source: http://www.ablongman.com/stovall1e/chap04/newspaperorgchart.html

18. 18
Defining Key Newsroom Positions
CHIEF COPY EDITOR
• The chief copy editor is in
charge of the newspaper's
copydesk. The people on
the copydesk read news
stories (and sometimes
stories from other
sections) to make sure
they are written according
to the newspaper's
standards. The chief copy
editor makes final
decisions about the copy
and is in charge of the
staffing of the desk.
NEWS REPORTER
A news reporter rather
information about news
stories in the local area. A
beat reporter covers the
same subject or location all
the time; a general
assignment reporter covers
any story assigned by the
city editor or assistant city
editor.
Source: http://www.ablongman.com/stovall1e/chap04/newspaperorgchart.html

19. 19
Defining Key Newsroom Positions
COPY EDITOR
• A copy editor is specially
trained to read the
stories that other have
written and make sure
they conform with the
rules of grammar and
style. A copy editor also
writes headlines and
performs other duties
that help produce the
newspaper every day.
PHOTO EDITOR
• A photo editor is not a
photographer, although it
is often the case that the
photo editor is a former
photographer. This editor
assigns photographers
and helps select the
photos that the
newspaper prints.

20. 20
Defining Key Newsroom Positions
PHOTOGRAPHER
• A photographer takes
pictures of local news
events for the newspaper.
A photographer might have
a variety of assignments
each day. Larger
newspapers have a staff of
sports photographers, but
on most newspaper, a
photographer will be
assigned to shoot sports
stories as well as news
events.
GRAPHICS EDITOR
• The graphics editor is the
head of the graphics
department, sometimes
called the "art
department." This editor is
in charge of all of the
graphics and illustrations
produced for the
newspaper.

21. 21
Defining Key Newsroom Positions
GRAPHICS REPORTER
GRAPHICS EDITOR
• A graphics reporter
• The graphics editor is
researches and designs
the head of the graphics
informational graphics
department, sometimes
that support news
called the "art
stories the paper. A
department." This editor
graphics reporter is an
is in charge of all of the
expert in graphic forms
graphics and illustrations
and also must be able to
produced for the
local information that
newspaper.
can be used to build
graphics.
Source: http://www.ablongman.com/stovall1e/chap04/newspaperorgchart.html

22. The Journalists’ Flow Chart
Idea
Publish
Report
Revise
Write
Edit

23. Newsworthiness
Timeliness
Unique
Proximity
Helpfulness
Impact
Human
Interest
Entertainment
Celebrities
Dramatic

24. 24
The Inverted Pyramid
The Lead
Backing Up the Lead
The Nut Graph – ‘So What Graph?’
Lead Quote
Impact

25. 25
Typical News Story Structure
A student at a Nevada middle school opened fire with a
semi-automatic handgun on campus just before the
starting bell Monday, wounding two 12-year-old boys and
killing a math teacher who was trying to protect children
from their classmate.
The unidentified shooter killed himself with the gun after a
rampage that occurred in front of 20 to 30 horrified
students who had just returned to school from a weeklong
fall break. Authorities did not provide a motive for the
shooting, and it's unknown where the student got the gun.
Lead
Nut Graf
Teacher Michael Landsberry was being hailed for his
actions during the shooting outside Sparks Middle School.
"In my estimation, he is a hero. ... We do know he was
trying to intervene," Reno Deputy Police Chief Tom
Robinson said.
Both wounded students were listed in stable condition.
One was shot in the shoulder, and the other was hit in the
abdomen.
Lead Quote
Backing up
the lead

26. 26
What Every News Story Has
• Headline
• Sometimes a subhead
• Quotes from key sources
• People, documents or live events
• Attribution
• Who said what
• Background / Details / History
• Facts / Analysis
• AP Style

27. 27
Newspaper Writing Style
• Eliminate unnecessary words
Bad
Best
Appoint to the post of
appoint
Conduct an investigation into
Investigate
Rose to the defense of
defended
Succeed in doing
do
Shot to death
shot
Devoured by flames
burned

28. 28
Basic To-Dos of a Journalist
• Be concise
• Verify Check, double-
• Be specific
check and check again
• Keep it simple: “If I
were telling this story
to a friend, how would I
tell it …”
• Avoid exaggeration
• Always remember the
readers
• Use strong, active
verbs
• Focus on ‘so what’
• Be objective
• Attribute opinions
• Do extensive,
exhaustive reporting

29. 29
21st Century Newspapers & Newsrooms
• Convergence is a reality
• Multiplatform gathering and presentation of news the
norm
• Adapt or die
• The Guardian Newspapers in London:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2
yXT_1pvDv4

30. 30
The Newsroom – Converged
/Multiplatform
In 2006, Gannett restructured all of its news operations into
seven desks:
Digital
- Accelerates the speed
and volume of news
and information posted
on multiple digital and
print platforms.
- The heart of the
newsroom
Source: Principles of Convergent Journalism, p. 56
Local
- Focus is to expand the
coverage so it includes
hyper-local stories.
- MoJos: mobile
journalists providing
coverage of breaking
news

31. 31
The Newsroom – Converged
/Multiplatform – Gannett’s strategy cont.
Data
- Figuring out ways to
present the information
gathered in new ways
- Taking events,
entertainment news
and presenting it in
searchable, interactive
formats
Source: Principles of Convergent Journalism, p. 56
Multimedia
- Visual presentation:
photos and video
- Photographers
responsible for both
stills and video

32. 32
The Newsroom – Converged
/Multiplatform – Gannett’s strategy cont.
Custom Content
- Create content that
targets certain types of
readership, like niche
magazines
- Define targeted
audiences to generate
loyal readers on
specific topics
Source: Principles of Convergent Journalism, p. 56
Public Service
- Engaging readers /
citizen journalists to
“crowd source” stories
- Create interactive,
searchable databases
of information
- Tapping into the
community to help the
newspaper fulfill its
watchdog role

33. 33
The Newsroom – Converged
/Multiplatform – Gannett’s strategy cont.
Community Conversation
- Expanding editorial page using blogs and
other online forms as well as traditional
editorial columns.
- Inviting public to create and host forums to
discuss community issues
Source: Principles of Convergent Journalism, p. 56

34. 34
Today’s Discuss Question
• Publisher Jim Moroney says that in 10 years he
and other newspaper publishers will be drinking
champagne while the critics will be eating crow.
He says newspaper folks have to rally together to
fight off the naysayers and give them a dose of
“whipa—”
• Pick a side: A newspaper proponent or a
newspaper naysayer.
• Give three reasons why you support or don’t
support the future of newspapers