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The Gang of Eight’s Recommendations: An Excerpt
The Gang of Eight didn’t hesitate to
recommend significant changes in
structure and cuts in the editing staff.
Here is an excerpt from their report.
—SAS
To address concerns that reporters
are not getting enough time with
editors, that copy gets jammed during
the editing process, that there are
not enough reporters available and
that writers are duplicating work on
stories, editors will work together on
a universal assignments desk.
• The new Local Department will
encompass the former City, Busi-
They offered some surprises. In
reorganizing local news reporting, our
young staffers did not stray from the
content that traditionalists typically
value—watchdog and investigative
reporting. And they recommended
strengthening the copyediting system,
particularly for online content.
We’d been moving in the opposite
direction.
At a general newsroom meeting, I
presented the report to staffers. I also
posted it on my blog. At the same
time, I announced the formation of
a second study group—consisting of a
mix of staff, mostly veterans—to focus
on content. By the end of July, this
group issued its report. As might have
been expected, they argued vigorously
in favor of traditional news coverage,
suggesting a reduction in the number of
editors and an increase in the number
of reporters on the ground. Most significant
was a recommendation to cut
the editorial page staff to two people,
moving two into reporting slots and
a third to the copy desk.
In August, we handed over both
reports to five groups of six people.
We gave each group a four-hour
block of time to synthesize all of these
ideas into a list of five or six basic
recommendations. Meanwhile, I met
34 Nieman Reports | Winter 2008
ness, Features, 7 (the entertainment
section) and Voices (zoned sections)
desks. The head of this desk will be
a “strong” city editor—addressing
another staff concern that the city
editor has less power than in past
years—who will oversee selection
and assignment of stories for all of
the sections, read as many stories as
possible, and report to the managing
editor.
• Line editing and supervision of reporters
will lie with seven non-SES
(nonunion) assistant local editors:
breaking, life, culture, watchdog,
money and Washington hyperlocal
and Idaho hyperlocal. To increase
one-on-one with as many newsroom
staffers as I could, about 50 meetings
of 30 to 60 minutes each.
With all of this information, Graham
and I developed the reorganization
plan, announced shortly after Labor
Day and scheduled to go into effect
at the end of September. By adjusting
staff, downsizing the editorial page
staff, and cutting a bit into features,
we were able to add five reporters to
the local news team, which was one
of the leading goals of this effort. A
breaking news desk was established to
work early morning hours and produce
content for online, mobile and radio.
The editing structure was to be flattened
and rearranged.
Ready for Change
This plan looked like it would work.
For one reason, there appeared to be
more buy-in from the staff. Reaction
to it on my blog was mostly positive,
and I was enthusiastic about giving
it a try.
But we never had a chance to do
so. In late September, the publisher
mandated additional layoffs—as many
as 25 to 30 positions. The reorganization
plan blew up as if the newsroom
had hit a land mine. I resigned on
communication, these editors will
sit in a central editors’ pod in the
newsroom, with the exception of
one editor in Idaho; the pod also will
include representatives of all other
departments.
This structure noticeably removes
assistant managing editors across the
board, placing greater authority in the
hands of the local editor. The editor
in chief and managing editor will
continue their present duties.
Flexibility is key to this organization.
�
October 1st, protesting the scope of
the layoffs. Among those let go, all on
the basis of union-mandated seniority,
were six members of the Gang of Eight
and three of the nine members of the
content study group. As many as three
managers in addition to Savalli, who
also resigned, and me, were set to
leave. The online staff was eviscerated.
The radio operation gutted.
It’s impossible to say if the youthconceived
reorganization would have
worked. My view is that it would have
held us in a good place until the time
came when the newsroom could grow
again. Instead, Graham, who is now
editor, was faced with starting over.
His will be the fifth reorganization
effort in six years. He has a newsroom
staff of about 80 serving four or more
platforms.
Making this work—retaining quality
and range of coverage that our readers
expect from our news organization—
will require not a task force, but a
miracle. �
Steven A. Smith was until October
1st editor of The Spokesman-Review
in Spokane, Washington. His blog is
www.stillanewspaperman.com. Another
article by Smith is on page 5.