US: Newsrooms progressing toward convergence

Posted by Maddie Hanna on May 26, 2006 at 4:31 PM

Convergence: the much talked-about concept referring to a continuous stream of news via different forms of media. But convergence also means cooperation, as Washington Post and USA Today editors emphasized at a panel during last week’s Editor & Publisher/Mediaweek Interactive Media Conference.

In a competitive media world, the idea of different groups cooperating can come as a surprise. But print reporters are concerned with their stories’ play online, said Rajiv Chandrasekaran, assistant managing editor at the Post in charge of its continuous news desk.

For those worried about excessive collaboration — such as holding scoops until the story could run in print — USA Today editor Kinsey Wilson said the paper publishes to the Web first if it considers the story competitive.

For young reporters preparing for a career in the age of convergence, Wilson said, “It’s not about necessarily learning software or reporting on different platforms. It’s more about how much time people spend with media and how long they are going to spend on various types of consumption.”

Source: Editor & Publisher (through IFRA)

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