Reinventing Beat Reporting, Spokane, WA 2002
Partners:
The Spokesman-Review, spokesmanreview.com
Pew support allowed the paper to experiment with interactive on-line journalism tools that improved connections between reporters and readers and users. One of the most successful tools was an automated email system that was being widely used by reporters and editors within months of being created in early 2002. The system allows reporters to send out queries to a large database of readers and users. By the end of 2002, the Spokesman-Review’s database had 4,000 names in it. This was used in many ways.
For example, a reporter working on the Sept.11 anniversary story asked readers to share their thoughts about the events of that day. She found the best sources, including the person in the lead, through responses to her email. Another reporter covering the controversy over hormone replacement therapy found valuable sources though an email sent to women over 50.
Also in 2002, the paper moved to Blogs (Web logs) to interact with readers on stories of broad interest. A blog on the State B basketball championship was wildly popular with fans and even some players who were able to interact with the site in real time. A similar approach made coverage of a vote on the incorporation of a new city more engaging. Turn-out in the election was higher than predicted by local officials.
Another new feature the paper’s Web site began offering in the summer of 2002 consisted of multi-media, on-line obits: feature-length profiles of recently deceased local residents, including a slide show of family pictures with background audio from a family member talking about the deceased. Public response was extremely positive.
The paper lacked the software to count how many users were going to the newly added features but traffic to the site was increasing through 2002. And the ideas were spreading to other papers. Interactive editor Ken Sands helped 27 newspapers involved in the Associated Press Managing Editors (APME) Credibility Roundtable to install some version of the database email system. He expected the tools the paper created to lead to continued innovation, including a portable producing station for creating real time, multi-media coverage of events.
Contact:
Ken Sands
Managing Editor, Online and New Media
The Spokesman-Review
999 W. Riverside Ave.
Spokane, WA 99201
Phone: (509) 459-5014
Email: kens@spokesman.com