The Digital Collegian - Published independently by students at Penn State
[ Summer 2006 ]

Alumni among state editors upbeat about future
Collegian Insider 2006
Annual visit leads to new media chat

By Gina Cherundolo
Daily Collegian Staff Member '06

Technology, including podcasting and other Web publishing capabilities, dominated discussion during the annual spring visit by Pennsylvania newspaper editors to The Daily Collegian.

The April 11 gathering was part of the College of Communications' Pennsylvania Editors Day event. Four news editors, including two former Collegian staff members, broke away from the assembled group to visit the Collegian.

Visiting editors included Collegianaires Jim Deegan ('89), managing editor of the Easton Express, and Chris Krewson ('98), multimedia editor of the Allentown Morning Call. Also attending were Kim de Burbon, editor of the Pocono Record, and Randy Parker, managing editor of the York Daily Record.

Advances in technology and the shift in trends of reader involvement dominated the conversation. The editors spoke of recent changes to their newspapers' format to encorporate technological breakthroughs. Such changes included the creation of podcasts and vodcasts to contribute to news stories, blogging, and open online forums to discuss news stories and submit photos.

All of this is being done, they said, to erase the distinction between Web and print content.

It is more important, they agreed, to reach the audience rather than to decide which medium is best for consumers to get news.

The rise of online media is making it harder to advance in the print world, said de Burbon. Ad selling is becoming more difficult because advertisers think there are more effective ways to reach audiences.

One of the main lessons the editors tried to instill in current staff members was the realization that journalists no longer work for what is classified as "newspapers." Rather, they work for "providers of news," Parker said.

The Daily Record managing editor said the main question journalists should ask themselves is, "What do the readers want?"

Krewson agreed. "I don't care how they get [the news]. I'll even paint it on someone's garage door if that's what they want."

Earlier in the afternoon, the Collegian's top editors attended a luncheon with the editors hosted by the College of Communications. Penn State President Graham Spanier also attended and answered questions from the audience, including one from 2005-06 Editor in Chief Jennette Hannah about the administration's rationale for cutting back on the hours for the annual Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon. This was a controversial issue with Thon alumni, and the Collegian published two news stories, a news analysis and an editorial on the topic. The editorial was highly critical of how the administration handled the issue.

Spanier took the opportunity to roundly criticize the Collegian for its coverage of the issue, saying he would repeat his reasons "one more time" so that the Collegian "can get it."

At the gathering later at the Collegian, the editors briefly talked about the situation. In conclusion, Krewson told the Collegian editors, "At least he's reading."

Photo by 2005-06 Photo Staff Member Chad Woolbert
Photo by 2005-06 Photo Staff Member Chad Woolbert
Pennsylvania editors, foreground from left, Randy Parker, Chris Krewson, Kim de Burbon and Jim Deegan, chat with several members of the 2005-06 News Division on April 11. Both Krewson and Deegan were Collegian staff members during their Penn State days.

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