Public Eye
June 14, 2006 9:55 AM

Transparency … So Hot Right Now

We love a good look inside an editorial meeting here at Public Eye. And we’re not the only ones. The Spokesman-Review of Spokane, Wash. has been blogging about its editorial meetings for some time now. NPR’s new blog, Mixed Signals, has been doing the same. Yesterday, The Spokesman Review took it one step further – they now offer a live Webcast of the day’s two editorial meetings. Staffer Ken Paulman’s comment on the inaugural broadcast gave us a chuckle:
Today was the first day that the public could access the web stream of our news meetings, and an earlier assessment by the Inlander turned out to be almost correct. The weekly identified "the eight people outside the Review's 'transparent newsroom' who actually care...," and lo and behold, we clocked exactly eight connections to our webcast this morning! Only problem is, seven of those connections were from inside the newsroom. The eighth connection was actually two people - one who watched the first half (and, evidently got bored and left), and another who watched the latter half.
Ah, well. We'll be tuning in to make it nine viewers.
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editorial meeting
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by joycewest June 15, 2006 10:05 AM EDT
It seems to me that this noble desire to be transparent is becoming somehow linked with this starlet reality show idea that "if only they saw me as I am, as I work, then they would understand me and support me." Then my other thought, in a different direction, was maybe there needs to be MORE of a reality show element to make the editorial meetings more pleasurable Web viewing. Some examples: Newsroom Fear Factor: Watch how our editors decide what goes on the front page, then watch them eat worms! Newsroom Survivor: Our intrepid reporters have been dropped in the middle of this Costa Rican jungle. Will their investigative reporting skills help them now? Newsroom Bachelorette: Tammy the Novice Reporter could have any of the Clark Kent hunks in the newsroom, but she has her eye on Dan the Advertising Rep. Will they breach the wall that traditionally separates news and advertising? Will the publisher find out? Stay tuned!
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by alphaa10-2009 June 15, 2006 2:09 AM EDT
Transparency is The Hot Topic, as you noted, but like financial audit of a public account, it is not exciting. People attend because they (1) should and/or (2) must. And a hefty proportion of those who should or must skip the occasion, anyway. So much for transparency -- until something goes wrong. As a visitor tour of the intellectual premises, I liked your link to your own editorial meetings. That makes your product more personal, with living, breathing human beings behind it. I don't have to have my news with a face attached to it, but it sometimes helps to know the writer.
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