Last week, I wrote that I would be using this space to give readers more of a peek behind the curtain at what it takes to run a newspaper right now. This week, a lot of that work meant talking with people outside our own newsroom and seeing what we can learn from the way others are thinking about local news.
In just the past few days, I met with Nilay Patel, co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Verge, one of the country’s most influential technology and culture publications and is part of Vox Media. The Verge, with a much larger staff and reach, is obviously a very different newsroom than a weekly newspaper in Navajo County but that was part of what made the conversation useful. There are still shared questions about how to serve readers, build trust, make better decisions and think about what a newsroom should become next.
I also met with the publisher of a small newspaper in New York to compare notes on some of the fun stuff. We talked about events, special sections, creative page layouts and ways a newspaper can feel more alive and connected to the community. Not every part of a local paper has to be heavy. We are always going to cover city councils, school boards and serious issues but a newspaper should also reflect the personality, history, humor, celebrations and everyday life of the place it serves.
I also met with the leadership team at the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting to talk through ways we may be able to work together on deeper stories in our region. They have the experience and tools for investigative and data-driven reporting and we have the local knowledge that comes from being here, knowing the communities and understanding what questions matter to our readers. That kind of partnership could help us take on bigger stories while still making sure the reporting is rooted here and serves the people who live here.
All of those conversations were encouraging. Running a newspaper right now means protecting the parts of this work that still matter while being willing to constantly try new things to see what works and what doesn’t. Some ideas will work, some will need to change and some may never make it past the conversation stage but I want readers to know we are looking outward, asking questions and trying to make this paper stronger.
As always, I want to hear what you think. If you have thoughts, concerns or ideas for the paper, email me at shawnwhite@yourtrib.com. I may use this space to talk through some of them because this paper will be better if the people it serves help shape where it goes next.
