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Tuesday, 04 July 2006 14:06 |
| Jason Sandford
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By JIM GENARO
Newspapers will continue to survive, despite steady downward trends in circulation, according to Jason Sandford, deputy managing editor of the Asheville Citizen-Times.
Sandford spoke to about 50 people at UNC Asheville??s Reuter Center on April 28.
The talk was sponsored by the Center for Creative Retirement and was part of its TGIF Lunch Series.
Sandford, who
edits the business and health and fitness sections of the AC-T, said
that the paper has been undergoing some significant changes recently.
?®We called it a redesign because we did change the look of the paper
and we changed a lot of the content as well,?∆ he told the audience.
Among the changes to the AC-T are larger type, less coverage of stock
reports, and a greater focus on business news, which now exists as its
own section, Sandford said.
One unusual change, he noted, is that the obituaries are now located in the business section.
This was due to
technical necessities, Sandford said, adding, ?®when you start to think
about adding new parts and how it all works with the printing press,
it??s kind of a jigsaw.?∆
Another change in the AC-T is that stock listings have been
significantly reduced. This is part of a nationwide trend among
newspapers, due to the more immediate availability of stock reports
online, he noted.
This raises the larger issue of the effect the Internet is having on
newspapers, Sandford said. ?®As you all are, I??m sure aware, newspaper
circulation has been steadily declining over the past couple of years.?∆
Younger readers, particularly, are turning more and more to the Web for
their news, he added. As a result, the AC-T, like many other papers,
are increasingly focusing on providing unique content on its website.
?®It??s interesting to see how the audiences different when you look at
what??s popular online and what??s popular in the newspaper,?∆ Sandford
told the audience.
Crime and breaking news stories, as well as sensational stories, get
the most attention online. A recent story on the AC-T web site about
three men who were performing voluntary castrations received thousands
of hits, Sandford noted.
?®Does the Web become an income generator for you??∆ asked a man in the audience.
Advertising online has also become an increasing source of revenue for
newspapers, Sandford replied, with the AC-T seeing a 300 to 400 percent
increase in Internet advertising revenue over the past few years.
Additionally, many newspapers have started offering content online for
a charge, he said, though the AC-T has not yet done so. ?®Everyone in
the newspaper is kind of watching each other.?∆
Of the papers that have begun to sell their online content, the Wall
Street Journal has been one of the most successful, Sandford added.
?®Part of their key is that they have very strong content that fills a
specific niche.?∆
?®In your industry, do you guys usually network with other newspapers and see what??s successful??∆ asked a man in the audience.
?®Yes,?∆ Sandford answered, ?®We??re always looking at other newspapers to steal ideas.?∆
Gannett, the company that owns the AC-T, is often criticized for being
corporately owned, he acknowledged. The company also owns the
Louisville Courier, the Indianapolis Star and its flagship paper, USA
Today, he said.
?®I??m curious about copyediting,?∆ said a man in the audience. ?®I notice
it??s pretty sloppy. Is there a heavy emphasis on using spell-check and
other kinds of automated systems??∆
?®I think that is a problem,?∆ Sandford answered. He said that the paper
has recently abandoned an approach which used a ?®universal copy desk,?∆
in which editors review pages from all sections, rather than reviewing
a specific part of the paper.
This system has proved to be unsuccessful, he said, and the paper is in
the process of changing back to the older method of having specialized
editors.
?®Does Gannett direct what editorials you run??∆ asked a woman in the audience.
?®We have an in-house editorial board,?∆ he replied. Virgil Smith, the
paper??s publisher, ?®has been very active in setting up a group of
people from the community?∆ that offers editorial advice, Sandford said.
Though Gannett
has certain ?®core values?∆ that it requires its papers to adhere to, it
does not regulate editorial content, he added.
Among these core values is diversity, Sandford said. ?®We require minority sources in our news whenever possible.?∆
One standard the paper sets for itself is that reporters will not use
anonymous sources. ?®So many papers have seen their credibility killed
by reporters who make up stories,?∆ he noted.
A man asked whether this requirement will inhibit the paper??s ability
to uncover stories that would only be leaked by anonymous sources.
?®What I??ve seen in my time is: There??s never just one person who has an
answer to a question,?∆ Sandford replied. ?®There are a number of ways I
can find information.?∆
However, he said, ?®We are certainly open to hearing any information
that someone comes up with. While we??re much more careful about
directly quoting anonymous surces, we don??t turn away information ever.?∆
A man asked about a recent two-page advertisement in the paper that
expressed support for businesses that refuse to hire gay or lesbian
employees. The ad included numerous Bible verses condemning
homosexuals, as well as derogatory references to ?®sodomites.?∆
?®Many people perceived that ad as being homophobic,?∆ the man said. ?®Is
there some sort of editorial policy that guides what advertisements the
paper will allow??∆
?®In the case of the ad you were referring to, it went through Virgil,?∆ he said. ?®I don??t want to speak for my boss.?∆
However, he noted that the paper received ?®a lot of complaints from the
community. I didn??t think it was the best idea. I think the business
side can interfere with the decisions that are made.?∆
Sandford added that Smith ?®knows it was a bad decision.?∆
?®Do you think that the Citizen-Times has a deliberate political bias or
does it just appear that way??∆ asked a man in the audience.
?®If you look back at the paper from an editorial standpoint, it is
clear that it was a Democratic/liberal paper,?∆ Sandford responded.
However, in recent years, the AC-T has made ?®concerted efforts to open up editorials to more varied views.
The questioner responded by saying that the paper ?®never has a kind
word for Charles Taylor,?∆ the Republican Senator. This reflects its
liberal bias, he suggested.
?®I would see it the other way ?? as a conservative paper,?∆ said a woman in the audience.
?®We feel like we bend over backwards to be fair to Taylor,?∆ Sandford replied. ?®He doesn??t often return our phone calls.?∆
A woman offered some positive feedback, saying that the recent change
to the paper??s aesthetic, ?®has really professionalized it.?∆
A man asked, ?®Given the trends you??ve mentioned and the overall
demographic changes in the country, do you think newspapers have a
future??∆
?®I do feel like newspapers have a future,?∆ Sandford answered. ?®Part of
that may be wishful thinking on my part because it??s my career.?∆
However, he noted that newspapers are seen as more reliable than information online.
?®There aren??t a lot of news sources out there that you can trust.?∆
Newspapers also provide access to local news, information which is not
always readily available online, Sandford said. ?®People want the AC-T
to be the Washington Post or the New York Times. We understand that,
but we feel that our mandate is local news.?∆
Newspapers in the future may be downloaded to ?®flexible screens,?∆
rather than printed on paper, he said, adding that ?®I think newspapers
will be around for a while.?∆
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