May 8, 2006

Meeting Notes

Guest speakers:

Ivan Weiss

Karl Hente

An in-depth conversation with two journalists who began their professions in very similar ways. Both have reinvented their careers over time, taking new courses and creating unique paths as writers, editors, and defenders of quality journalism.

Karl:

·         Career path: Started at Washington Post answering phones in sports. Went on to boxing reporting, editing, financial reporting. 4.5 years as copy editor and sports copy chief at the Post.

·         Education: Georgetown

·         Recent projects: copyedited book on US/China relations by Chi Wong

·         Current projects: new business development, grantwriting, research

Ivan:

·         Career path: Started at Seattle Times answering phones in sports. Senior copy editor for 14 years.

·         Education: Penn State, UW grad school, Bellevue CC (technical editing)

·         Recent projects: Newspaper guild activism

·         Current projects: technical editing, 34th District Democratic chair

Q&A

Q: The quality of newspaper writing is pretty low. Were you ever staff writers, and what do you think of today’s writing quality?

I: Was a writer at Seattle Times. The Times’ sportswriters are scabs. The good sports writing today is in the blogs.

Q: The trend seems to be that copy editors are also supposed to be designers.

K: Yes, in small papers, as they are cutting costs. The Post is cutting staff by 80. Part-time positions are nonexistent.

I: Newspapers are run by bean counters & marketing parasites, not reporters. Substance is secondary to packaging. The news is predetermined before the news cycle starts. Editors don’t edit based on newsworthiness, but on how reporter has packaged product.

K: Post is still owned by a family that has diversified capital. This makes a difference in content, as they don’t rely on the paper making money.

Q: Are there bad writers at the Post?

K: Yes. But 9 out of 10 writers will agree w/editors’ comments, and are good to work with. Tony Kornheiser appreciates good writing, and makes his argument well.

Q: Because of economic realities, will there be anything better than tabloids in 10 years?

K: Yes; there’s a demand for news. But it’ll be hard for younger people to fit news reading into their schedules. A Post focus group of lawyers, lobbyists, and other professional groups found that none read the paper.

I: Reads the newspaper online. There will always be a place for print, but it will be niche media instead of mass media. Newspaper editing is for the mass-market; other types of news editing are for specific audiences. Newspapers don’t really know whom audience is, making editing bland and encouraging clichés. Bureaucrats make assumptions about audience for their journalists.

K: Content is dumbed-down. Speak truth to power without fear or favor.

Q: How does management’s bias get foisted upon editors?

I: “False equivalency”—biggest problem with mass-market journalism is that papers don’t want to offend anyone so advertisers can sell products. Too much emphasis on being fair to all sides (ex: Holocaust denial, teaching genesis in science class). They’re not being fair—just spineless. The economic agenda debases journalism.

K: At the Post, there’s not a lot of pressure on editors to give the same amount of print to both sides. There’s more editorial freedom.

Q: Freelance editors get paid to clarify the message. How do you handle freelance relationships: not knowing what the client wants when you go in? How do you establish guidelines?

I: Problem is how much of a feedback loop client will tolerate. Has been fired for asking too many questions.

(Guild member): Set up roles and responsibilities at beginning. There is a “discovery period” in which you establish the review cycle. Build this into contract up front to set expectations.

K: Editors have the credentials to raise questions and update facts. Need to evaluate: how qualified am I to do this job? With more experience in the field, you gain the confidence to make suggestions to client.

I: Saleable because he’s a production editor and delivers quick turnarounds. Production imperatives outweigh content imperatives much of the time.

Q: Is copyediting for newspapers worthwhile to get into now?

I: If you’re starting out, do it for a couple of years, and then get out.

K: Versatility is important. Show them you can do anything. If you love newspapers, you can carve out a niche. The staffing issues make it hard, but pay at a big paper is good.

Q: Why did you leave the Post?

K: It was time to move on, but misses it. Likes living in the Northwest.

Q: Has the golden age of newspapers passed?

K: No, there are far too many talented people and there is a need for quality journalism.