Another Paper Drops the AP

Another paper has dropped the Associated Press as of today. The Columbus Dispatch has likely carried the AP for over 100 years, and due to the $800,000/year price tag, is parting ways with the company.

It seems to me that this trend is only going to continue. Could the AP possibly go out of business? I'm not sure what the AP could do to stay in business, because their core clients simply cannot afford the services anymore. Could the AP change their business model and attract more newspapers back? I think the AP will go out of business within the next five years or so, and another press syndicate will emerge with a fresh, innovative take on reporting that newspapers will be able to afford. These growing pains sure will hurt for a while.

Interview with Giff Nielsen, KHOU-Houston

My journalist is in town! Special thanks to Giff Nielsen, sports director and anchor for KHOU-11, the CBS affiliate in Houston, Texas for answering some of my questions. Enjoy:

Nielsen: I graduated from BYU with a BA in Communications with an emphasis in public relations. During my time in college, I had a chance to take other courses learning about the media along with PR so when the opportunity came to retire from professional football, I had some background in television that allowed me to have a small understanding of what I was getting myself into as the sports director at Channel 11 in Houston.

Daniel: How did you break into the field?

Nielsen: I was in the right place at the right time. Most young journalists have to work in smaller markets before they hit a top ten position but that was not the case with me. I learned how to learn in college and it paid off.

D: How do you define a good journalist?

N: It's up to a journalist to present the facts, be totally objective and let the viewers decide for themselves how they feel about what they've seen and heard. The exception is the sports department where you can have more fun reporting your information although there are some serious stories in today's sports world that need total objectivity.

D: How would you define the type of journalism you do?

N: Let me just say this. It's fun and everyone seems to want my job. Going to special sporting events and covering the local pro, college and high school teams is enjoyable for the most part although I've reported on some tragic stories.

D: How do you feel your journalism serves the community?

N: The sports scene in communities can be a diversion from the challenges of life. That in itself can help areas come together in a unique way. I've seen cities that have been down in the dumps for one reason or another rally behind their team to create a sense of excitement.

D: Have you ever had an experience in which you felt your work as a journalist really made a difference?

N: The news can be a great source of information to the public. That's really who we are. We just had an experience with Hurricane Ike and we were the eyes and ears of the public for many days. The Houston area counted on us to let them know what was going on and how they could get help. It was amazing to watch it and be a part of it.

Giff Nielsen was the starting quarterback for the BYU Cougars in the late 70's and was the starting QB for the Houston Oilers from 1982-1983. He lives in Sugar Land, TX with his family.

Chopper Crashes--A Sign of Something Bigger?

With the recent news chopper crash in Houston, my hometown, it raises the question of the safety and procedures of news choppers. We all love the police chase or the live aerial coverage of a fire or other type of explosion, but how safe are they? Do the proportion of news choppers that crash equal the number of other types of helicopters that crash?

Last year's crash was the result of two helicopters trying to cover the same story from the same position. The pilots were obviously a little too concerned with following the story than not hitting other choppers. This crash is still under investigation, but it definitely raises the question--how much are these employees under pressure to get the story over their own safety?

Maybe this says something even larger about our news organizations (if it turns out that there are proportionately more crashes in the news industry).

Newspaper Redesigns

In another bold move by a newspaper, the Hartford Courant is also redesigning its newspaper. Much has been made of the Chicago Tribune's change to the more colorful, USA Today-like feel, but the Courant's change may be even bolder. Here's the change:


In a bold move, the title has been moved to the vertical column on the left, with the new emphasis on the ".com" at the top, to direct people to the website. What a great idea. My local paper, the Houston Chronicle underwent a change around 2005 as well, but I was disappointed by the result:

Besides changing the font of the title, they made the paper considerably shorter and smaller, and each article was less substantial. They tried to make it seem like a great change, but many people were disappointed by the result. Changes are good, but don't sell out your readers.

News War

During our class viewing of "News War," I was delighted to see the typical reactions from those interviewed--excitement and acceptance of anyone as a journalist by those who worked in the online business, and disdain by those in print and television. (Especially enjoyable was seeing Dan Rather marginalize bloggers, the very people who exposed his careless reporting.) Today's class discussion was especially enlightening on the subject.

Especially interesting were the comments made on the current trend of making news entertaining, which Ted Koppel contends is the worst development in modern..., etc., etc. So, we can criticize society and bemoan its waywardness, or we can innovate and find a way to give the consumer what he or she wants, and make it intellectually stimulating at the same time. I for one thoroughly enjoy reading the New York Times every day, because of its smart, deep analysis. I also enjoy an occasional Daily Show--a light serving of news and journalist-mocking. In other words, there is a place for all kinds of news for all kinds of audiences. Sure, we are not watching the evening news (who does, really? I don't know anyone). We aren't subscribing to newspapers. But we are blogging, reading news online, and watching cable news.

There is no real issue to argue. Good or bad, the transition of the news is happening. Follow the audiences, and the media will thrive.