NP40_partials.qxp 9/28/09 12:20 PM Page 1 October 2009 Survey Results LOCAL WARMING Environmental Journalists put a journalists worry community focus on about resources a global issue Page 16 Freelancers Fight a Glut Scratching out work in a crowded marketplace Page 5 Is TV News on the Ball? Why the ACORN story should have come from the pros Page 50 COVER IMAGE BY GIO ALMA WTVJ-TV’S JEFF BURNSIDE 09np0012.qxp 7/21/09 11:12 AM Page 1 The Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards HONORING THE BEST IN BROADCAST NEWS FOR 40 YEARS www.dupont.org 09np0012.pdf RunDate: 08/ 03 /09 Full Page Color: 4/C NP40_partials.qxp 9/28/09 12:28 PM Page 2 FROM THE EDITOR The Beat Goes On Welcome to NewsPro’s special Enviro-Journalism issue. The environment remains a crucial beat with ongoing CONTENTS developments that affect all aspects of our future. And despite the crunch of shrunken resources being felt throughout the OCTOBER 2009 business, dedicated news organizations are finding ways to keep it fully covered. FEEDS As you will learn in these pages, the Society of Environmental Newspapers and TV newsrooms Journalists plays no small role in helping its members stay merging to cut costs ..... Page 4 abreast of the field, and one of the organization’s key contributions is its annual conference, where new ideas are Journalists scramble for work in a exchanged and vital information imparted. It’s being held this crowded freelance market ...... Page 5 year in Madison, Wis., Oct. 7-11. Although attendance is anticipated to be down 20 percent at the SEJ gathering this COVER STORY time around, the 650-plus people expected to attend include the top of the environmental journalism field, along with more high-profile newsmakers and government officials as Environmental journalists put a local spin guest speakers than at any previous edition. on global warming ..... Page 12 In our special section we take a look at how the issue of global warming is increasingly becoming a local story, as a disturbing process that once seemed a matter of far-away SPECIAL REPORT glaciers begins to manifest in different ways back home. Plus, we look at the media’s plans The Society of Environmental Journalists to cover December’s COP15 Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen and the to convene in Wisconsin ..... Page 11 transparency of the Obama administration’s Environmental Protection Agency under new administrator Lisa Jackson Particular thanks to SEJ executive director Beth Parke for her indispensable SIGNOFF assistance on this issue, especially with our exclusive poll of SEJ members that appears Tom Petner thinks the ACORN scandal on page 16. Its results might not surprise you, exactly, but they should reinforce your should have been TV’s scoop .... Page 50 confidence in the extraordinarily committed journalists who cover the beat. —Tom Gilbert DEPARTMENTS Newsmakers ..... Page 9 ADVERTISING SALES Technology ..... Page 46 Ph: (212) 210-0748 Fax: (212) 210-0772 Executive Producer: Jeff Reisman, [email protected] Online ..... Page 48 (212) 210-0748 EDITORIAL OFFICES Producer: Danny Schreiber, [email protected] NewsPro, (USPS# 000-134), Volume 1, Issue 3, is published Ph: (212) 210-0706 Fax: (212) 210-0772 (503) 723-9688 Quarterly, August, September, October, November at Crain SUBSCRIPTION HOTLINE (888) 288-5900 Production Manager: Nicole Dionne Communications Inc, 711 Third Ave, New York, NY 10017. Group Circulation Director: John LaMarca Periodical postage pending at New York, NY, and at additional VP-Publisher: Robert Felsenthal, (212) 210-0262 Circulation Manager: Nicole Chantharaj mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Editor: Tom Gilbert, [email protected] NewsPro, Circulation Dept, 1155 Gratiot Ave, Detroit, MI 48207- (212) 210-0706 THE AD AGE GROUP 2912. Subscription and Customer Service (888) 288-6954. Art Director: Jeanine Dunn VP-Publishing and Editorial Director Subscription price for US and US Territories is $59, Canada and Copy Editor: Angel Musker David S. 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October 2009 | NewsPro | 3 Page 4 5 6 7 8 9 Oct NP_Feeds.qxp:Template 9/28/09 1:51 AM Page 1 FeedsINFORMATION AND ANALYSIS FROM THE WORLD OF PROFESSIONAL NEWS ECONOMY MEASURES over-the-air channel or in a newspaper, Sentinel newspaper offices — is what’s new. and I have content that belongs on your WSFL, a CW affiliate, did not have a Combined laptop,” Charlier said. “You take a great in- news department, but now it has four depth newspaper story combined with hours of morning news a day. The news - Newsrooms a video so it’s not limited to the person paper’s columnists and reporters appear getting it on their front porch. It hits five or on the program, either on set or on six delivery methods. It’s ridiculous not to location, or from home by Web cam. The Sign of Times work together to provide content.” paper’s 11 photographers were trained to Although many critics and academics shoot video. BY HILLARY ATKIN argue that the merger decisions are based It’s a sign of the constantly shifting on the simple economics of doing more Added Resources media landscape — television and print with less and surviving in a bad economy, “For the TV station, it’s a treasure trove of newsrooms in several major markets are some do see benefits — and that it makes reporting being done by newspaper people,” being combined, led by Tribune Co., with sense for newspapers to collaborate with said Bob Gremillion, who, as Tribune’s merger operations either under way or TV stations rather than trying to start their executive vice president for publishing, scheduled soon in Los Angeles; Chicago; own video units from scratch. oversees the operation. “There are more than Hartford, Conn.; and Miami/Fort Lauderdale. 100 people, with a huge archive at our It’s the beginning of a new business Collaborative Efforts fingertips that provides a great source of model. Even as some stations across the “One upside of merged newsrooms is information in ways other than extra video country are shuttering their news de - those print journalists who do what they and reporting. As a TV station we could partments entirely, many others are do best can now collaborate with those on never afford to do this without being adding even more news. The average net - the broadcast side, and pool the talents of integrated into the Sun-Sentinel.” work television affiliate has on about 4.5 their newsroom to do multiplatform Depending on the success and growth hours of news a day, even as station journalism,” said Geneva Overholser, of its morning show — which launched in revenue is down 20 percent to 30 percent director of the USC Annenberg School of April and is doing well but faces stiff this year due to the severe reduction of Journalism in Los Angeles. “Merging competition in the market from Univision, advertising dollars. enables everyone to do what they do best Telemundo and the network affiliates — an evening newscast may be added. Something’s Got to Give The operation’s sales team sells At the same time, even with staff integrated advertising packages across cutbacks, stations are beefing up their “One upside of media platforms. “Clients want solutions, Web sites to become 24/7 sources of news. merged newsrooms and return on investment, and we’ve been Something’s got to give, and for Tribune, is those print able to offer that in a way no one in the which owns highly respected papers like market can,” said Howard Greenberg, Sun- the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago journalists can now Sentinel president and publisher and Tribune, as well as local stations KTLA-TV collaborate with WSFL’s general manager. “We bring in new and WGN-TV in those markets, the answer those on the money by offering the opportunity to mix is fusing its newsrooms. platform sales in one package. It’s all about In Chicago, there’s a breaking news broadcast side to do package selling, not rates, not spot buys.” desk in the Chicago Tribune that serves multiplatform “Whenever we talk about a change in WGN Radio, WGN-TV, CLTV and the journalism.” media, it’s not always about cost-cutting,” newspaper. It’s a shared assignment desk Charlier said. “We have to stop thinking and shared Web sites, with the entities - Geneva Overholser, Annenberg School about that and that the industry is starting to combine reporting talent, and changing and consumers are changing. very much acting as one newsroom. There’s been more change in the past two “They are not economic decisions. These and tell stories in a lot of different ways, years than the past two decades.” are decisions to be a smart content with photos, video and sound. You bring In another sign of the times, Cox provider, and to continue to reinvent how talent together and tell one story, using Enterprises recently restructured its radio, we deliver our content,” said Steve talent who have deep expertise.” television and newspaper division into a Charlier, senior VP of news and operations Tribune properties have been sharing single unit, now called Cox Media Group.