Monthly Archives: June 2007

Our new site for national news

June 18, 20076:02 p.m.

If you missed the banner promotions on Kansas.com, I hope you’ll take a few minutes to check out the new national and international news site of our McClatchy Washington bureau.

The site, launched today, is exciting to me for a bunch of reasons. For one, the simple reality is that we don’t have space in the paper to publish all of the great journalism coming from our Washington bureau. Through news.mcclatchy.com though, you have access to the full slate of McClatchy’s national and international coverage, and more access to content from the company’s newspapers.

And you’ll find "extras" in blogs, Q&As and other features that offer more depth and analysis from the bureau’s experienced staff.

In his blog with McClatchy editors, McClatchy’s VP/News Howard Weaver writes: "The site is dedicated to public service journalism, principally devoted
to the work of our national and foreign correspondents, but there’s a
great deal more there, too. We’re displaying the best national
journalism, editorial cartoons and columnists from around our company,
six new blogs from overseas, ubiquitous tagging, and a place for
readers to upload their own video commentaries on public affairs. We’re
soliciting comments and hosting regular Q&A forums with staffers."

Communicating with our readers in Wichita about national and international news coverage can be sticky. Most of the time, the staff here didn’t write the story in question. Editors here made decisions on how (or whether) we published it — story length, where it ran in the paper, and what the headline said.

Yet readers rightfully consider the Eagle to be ultimately responsible for all content in the paper. Over the years, I’ve occasionally been the go-between with the Washington bureau, asking questions on behalf of readers and relaying answers. Washington Bureau Chief David Westphal and his staff are always responsive to questions and concerns from local newspapers the bureau serves.

But now, there doesn’t have to be a middle man or woman. I hope you’ll dive in to the bureau’s site and join the conversation.

– Sherry

By Sherry Chisenhall | Filed under News content | Comments Off

Winning work

June 11, 20071:46 p.m.

A quick note to let you know that the Business & Money team, whose work on the sale of Raytheon Aircraft was honored by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, also has won an award in the Heart of America competition. Reporters Molly McMillin, Jerry Siebenmark and Bill Wilson won first place in Business Reporting for papers with more than 50,000 in daily circulation. The judges said of the winning entry: "Thorough and provocative coverage of a business story of huge importance to the community." The competition is sponsored by the Kansas City Press Club and Society of Professional Journalists.

Another Eagle journalist, photographer Fernando Salazar, won first place in the Photojournalist Breaking News category for his photo, "Border Crossing," which shows an immigrant trying to sneak into the United States. You can see Fernando’s photo and other work by him by clicking on this link.

Several other Eagle journalists also were honored by the Heart of America. For a complete list of winners, click on this link.

Tom Shine

By Sherry Chisenhall | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments Off

Comments control

June 8, 20072:29 p.m.

Many of you have noticed that story comments — that box at the end of stories on Kansas.com, inviting readers to have their say — have become much more common on the site. We used to add commenting to just a handful of select stories each morning. About three weeks ago, we reversed the process. Commenting began appearing on every story, except for the select few on which we turned it off.

We’ve seen two results of that decision: (1) An enormous increase in the number of readers making comments and returning to the site to follow the conversations. (2) A marked increase in the number of hurtful, insensitive or just plain rude comments. The first result is terrific — precisely what we intended. The second raised a red flag, and we realized we needed to find a middle ground, balancing free conversation with limits on people’s ability to throw stones.

To that end, we’ve established new criteria for pre-emptively turning off the comment boards on stories. We’re going to more actively prevent commenting from appearing on certain stories that we figure are likely to attract hurtful comments. On other stories, we won’t hesitate to delete comments that we feel are out of bounds, or the entire comment board if the discussion has completely degenerated.

If you see a comment that you believe needs to be taken down, please don’t hesitate to click the "Report a Violation" link, which appears next to every comment. Clicking that link flags the comment to our moderators, who will look at the comment and decide whether it needs to be removed. We appreciate your help.

— Nick Jungman

By Sherry Chisenhall | Filed under Reader issues | Comments (1)

In the mail this week

June 1, 20076:43 p.m.

This seems to have been a particularly busy week for the Inbox, and I want to do a better job of sharing incoming questions and comments I’ve received.

I’ve had several people ask or email wanting to know about our policy of allowing readers to comment on stories at Kansas.com. The gist of the questions is that some reader comments posted on news stories are rude, accusatory or otherwise inappropriate.

The comment feature certainly has abuses at times. But I believe the benefits far outweigh those abuses. For most of its history, news coverage has been a one-way street of news organizations "talking at" readers. The only way to talk back (publicly, anyway) was a letter to the editor, for the most part. But the Internet age has truly opened the gates of communication about news, so conversations can happen from readers to the newspaper, readers among each other, and the newspaper to readers.

We hope conversations remain civil in the online forums and comment posts, and most do. I read the reader comments as often as possible, for feedback on news coverage as well as ideas on what to do for future stories. Every comment feature allows users to report a post as a violation of the terms of use. In many cases, the offending comments are removed. Is it a perfect system? Of course not. Is it vastly better than the "old way" of doing news? Absolutely.

We’re still figuring out the best stories to use comment features on, and which ones to avoid. As we’re learning and adjusting, one thing seems clear: It would be wrong to shut down the conversation because a few people lack manners.

On another note, reader Ruthanne says she’s kept up with Greensburg news through our Web site, and asks if we will keep publishing news and photos of the recovery. Ruthanne, count on it. The Greensburg story is far from over, and we’ll you and others apprised of recovery and progress for some time to come.

I also have an email from a reader who says he heard The Eagle sends letters to people who were quoted in news stories to ask if the stories were accurate. He was quoted in a story and didn’t get any such letter. Yes, I do send those letters. We send three a week, and not one for every story. These "accuracy letters" are intended as a sampling of how we’re doing.

The letters ask if the facts were right, the headline was fair, the reporter or photographer was polite and professional, and the story balanced and fair. I also ask what sections, topics or features the person reads most. Anyone who was quoted in a story but didn’t get a letter is always free to tell me how we did — if you want an actual accuracy letter to fill out, I’ll be glad to send you one.

The vast majority of letters are returned with positive feedback. When that’s not the case, I share the response with the reporter and editor, and if a correction is necessary, we publish one. I know people are busy, and I always appreciate them taking time to respond to the letter and tell us how we’re doing.

And finally, the best email of the week asks if I actually read email, with a creative wager that I don’t. I read every email and either reply myself, or ask the appropriate newsroom staffer with better information to respond. The only exception is email that is clearly spam. So Kevin, this is for you. Start singing.

Sherry

By Sherry Chisenhall | Filed under Reader issues | Comments Off

A most powerful photo

June 1, 200712:06 p.m.

0912soldiers_jo14_4
Just over a year ago, Eagle photographer Jaime Oppenheimer captured a poignant scene as a local Marine said good-bye to his family before departing for duty in Iraq. She recently received a
very moving message from this Marine, who is deployed with the 36th Combat Aviation Brigade. He agreed to let us publish it:

"Jaime,

I wanted to take a moment and thank you for capturing the beginning of a
new chapter in my life. It was close to a year ago when you snapped the photo
entitlted ‘From one soldier to another.’

My name is Gabriel Figueroa, I have been deployed with the 36th CAB since
April 2006. I have the photograph that you took hanging next to my chair in my
tiny two-man room. It is there to motivate me and to help me get through the long
days.

I am a crew chief on the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter, it is a job that I
love and that requires us to ‘cross the wire’ everyday. Recently, I was
involved in a ground to air ambush; the aircraft and crew were recovered
without anyone getting harmed. This was my second such incident since being ‘in
country’ but what made this one different is that instead of going to church to
thank God, or sitting around with the crew to (pretend to) laugh it off, I went
straight to my room and stared at the picture of my wife and child. I closed my
eyes and transported myself back to that moment and I remembered every detail of
that scene. I recalled what I told my wife: ‘I owe it to you and Isaiah to get
back home safely, and I will.’

I am sure that you take thousands of pictures each day, but I want you to
know that the photograph that you took this day has encouraged and motivated me
to get through 500+ days away from my family. Thank you Thank you Thank
you!

If there is anything that I can do for you please let me know. God bless you, Semper Fi and Keep the Faith.

Gabriel Figueroa"

Posted by Theresa Johnson

By Sherry Chisenhall | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments Off