In the 2012 GateHouse News & Interactive objectives, we had a couple of top priorities for content development:
1. More enterprise reporting.
2. More shared content.
As newspapers around the country struggle with finances, many are simply cutting project reporting. We wanted our newsrooms to continue to write the important stories and to leverage the power of the group to do so.
Content team managers and regional editors worked together to lead projects throughout our company that accomplished those goals in the second quarter.
Enterprise is also a part of our regional training and webinars, and hundreds of our reporters and editors have already had that training. The execution of these projects is a reminder of GateHouse's commitment to quality journalism.
Fourteen regional publishers in GateHouse and dozens of GateHouse newsrooms participated in the regional projects on topics as varied as state corporate tax increases and post office closures. We'll feature each project on GHnewsroom.com to give you a look at the work being done throughout the company.
As you take a look at these projects you'll get a sense of the issues that are important to our towns. We’re proud that our journalists are still willing to go beyond “reaction news” to delve into content that is useful and in some cases delightful to our readers.
As an overview, here are the topics and summaries of those regional projects and their editors.
PROJECTS FOR SECOND QUARTER
BOB HEISSE - Illinois large papers
TOPIC: Following up on the corporate income tax increase
SUMMARY: Nearly two years ago Illinois made national news when it increased taxes on business by 66 percent. This sparked anger in the business community, including threats to leave, and other states came recruiting with sweet offers. Headline after headline reported Illinois’ decision and the potential loss to the state. So what has happened in the 18 months the law has been in effect? How many businesses have left, and did they go to states like Wisconsin, Indiana and New Jersey that led the recruiting effort? Or did Illinois businesses largely stay?
LORI KILCHERMANN - Michigan
TOPIC: Elderly Abuse
SUMMARY: Elderly abuse is on the rise in Michigan. The age of the population is increasing, meaning there are more potential victims. The abuse is financial as well as physical, and often difficult to prosecute the offenders because they are caretakers or family members.
MIKE CHRISTOPHERSON - Minnesota & North Dakota
TOPIC: Post offices closures, reduced hours/staff/services
SUMMARY: In speaking with the papers in southern Minnesota and Devils Lake, it appears every paper to some degree is being affected by these reductions. Troy Krause in Redwood Falls is going to write essentially the umbrella story about the issue in general and how it impacts communities in that region.
In the 2012 GateHouse News & Interactive objectives, we had a couple of top priorities for content development:
1. More enterprise reporting.
2. More shared content.
As newspapers around the country struggle with finances, many are simply cutting project reporting. We wanted our newsrooms to continue to write the important stories and to leverage the power of the group to do so.
Content team managers and regional editors worked together to lead projects throughout our company that accomplished those goals in the second quarter.
Enterprise is also a part of our regional training and webinars, and hundreds of our reporters and editors have already had that training. The execution of these projects is a reminder of GateHouse's commitment to quality journalism.
Fourteen regional publishers in GateHouse and dozens of GateHouse newsrooms participated in the regional projects on topics as varied as state corporate tax increases and post office closures. We'll feature each project on GHnewsroom.com to give you a look at the work being done throughout the company.
As you take a look at these projects you'll get a sense of the issues that are important to our towns. We’re proud that our journalists are still willing to go beyond “reaction news” to delve into content that is useful and in some cases delightful to our readers.
As an overview, here are the topics and summaries of those regional projects and their editors.
PROJECTS FOR SECOND QUARTER
BOB HEISSE - Illinois large papers
TOPIC: Following up on the corporate income tax increase
SUMMARY: Nearly two years ago Illinois made national news when it increased taxes on business by 66 percent. This sparked anger in the business community, including threats to leave, and other states came recruiting with sweet offers. Headline after headline reported Illinois’ decision and the potential loss to the state. So what has happened in the 18 months the law has been in effect? How many businesses have left, and did they go to states like Wisconsin, Indiana and New Jersey that led the recruiting effort? Or did Illinois businesses largely stay?
LORI KILCHERMANN - Michigan
TOPIC: Elderly Abuse
SUMMARY: Elderly abuse is on the rise in Michigan. The age of the population is increasing, meaning there are more potential victims. The abuse is financial as well as physical, and often difficult to prosecute the offenders because they are caretakers or family members.
MIKE CHRISTOPHERSON - Minnesota & North Dakota
TOPIC: Post offices closures, reduced hours/staff/services
SUMMARY: In speaking with the papers in southern Minnesota and Devils Lake, it appears every paper to some degree is being affected by these reductions. Troy Krause in Redwood Falls is going to write essentially the umbrella story about the issue in general and how it impacts communities in that region.
TERRY GEESE - Southern Illinois
TOPIC: Rural plight
SUMMARY: The project will examine the volume of dilapidated homes in southern Illinois communities, which are both a danger to residents and cause this part of the state to look shabby.
TOM MARTIN - Central Illinois
TOPIC: County fairs and 4H fair funding cuts.
SUMMARY: A look at how the state funds county fairs and how the budget constraints are affecting that funding.
NEW ENGLAND - Sarah Corbitt
TOPIC: Empty Nest Egg
SUMMARY: Municipalities aren’t funding municipal employee pension fund accounts
RICK JENSEN - New York
TOPIC: State of the graduate
SUMMARY: Where is the Class of 2012 going? Higher ed, vocational training, military, straight to the job market. What is the job market like.
KRIS WORRELL - New York & Pennsylvania
TOPIC: Hydrofracking update
SUMMARY: A look at where the controversial method of extracting petroleum and natural gas stands in New York and Pennsylvania
DALE BRENDEL - Nebraska, Kansas & Missouri
TOPIC: Tornado preparedness
SUMMARY: A focus on lessons learned from past tornados, with safety tips and a profile of a Q5 tornado chaser from Leavenworth.
DALE BRENDEL - Missouri
TOPIC: Effects of poverty on communities, and from a regional perspective
SUMMARY: Centerpiece (by Pittsburg) focuses on median incomes in the region and how the poverty level is increasing and leading to blighted areas.
DALE BRENDEL - Kansas
TOPIC: Diabetes
SUMMARY: People-focused story about how diabetes affects those who have it and their families, and how treatment options have evolved. Newton is writing the centerpiece – a feature with a man who has lived with diabetes for more than 60 years.
WENDY LEDBETTER - Arkansas & Louisiana
TOPIC: Travel on the cheap
SUMMARY: A roundup of local vacation and recreation spots and why they’ve great. Focus will be on inexpensive or free events/places that people can get to as a day trip.
JASON HUNSICKER - Missouri
TOPIC: Homeless population
SUMMARY: With the economy still in the dumps, a rising homeless population is becoming more of a problem. Main bar will delve into some of the factors behind the rise in homelessness, as well as government efforts to curb the problem.
HEATHER DODDS - California
TOPIC: State cuts to school budgets
SUMMARY: In a May revision of the budget, the state cut funding to school districts – from the elementary level to state colleges. The lack of funding is causing many districts to scramble in order to make up the difference.
BRIAN TRAHAN - Louisiana
TOPIC: Hurricane preparedness
SUMMARY: History of powerful hurricanes in Louisiana and what residents and emergency responded have learned from those incidents. Story will focus on Katrina, Rita and Gustav.
KIM BENEDICT - Oklahoma & Tennessee
TOPIC: Bullying in schools
SUMMARY: Mainbar is on the prevalence of bullying in the schools and measures parents and districts can take to combat it. Will try to get a sense of how social media is making the problem more complicated.
JOYCE MILLER - Missouri
TOPIC: Cheap escapes
SUMMARY: A roundup of local vacation and recreation spots and why they’ve great. Focus will be on inexpensive or free events/places that people can get to as a day trip.
CANDI HILL - Colorado & Kansas
TOPIC: Wind turbines
SUMMARY: A new farm bill made some funding available for wind farm construction. Colorado wants to be at the forefront of wind turbine technology, but it comes with a high price tag and controversy. There will be a photo gallery of existing wind farms in Colorado, and possibly a video of wind turbine construction that is going on now.
Look for details of each project in the coming days on GHnewsroom.
