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Responsible, Probative & Relevant Journalism
We made these changes to make Newsroom Magazine more interesting as well as more useful to a wider range of readers with far broader interests.
Newsroom Magazine
Newsroom Magazine’s Breadth Of Coverage
Beginning in January 2009, Newsroom Magazine significantly enlarged its content breadth and depth. The broadened content model, and expanded depth, redefined our scope beyond journalism as an abstraction to one of issue engagement, in-depth analysis and more timely relevance. These changes have been, for the most part, well received as evidenced by the continued growth of subscribers and visitors. But audience size is not now, and never has been, a matter of great concern — for we are well aware that content aimed at achieving the widest audience is rarely content that will prove useful to readers or pass the test of time.
Speaking Freely About What Matters Most
Newsroom Magazine Sections
Click On Any Section To Review Its Content
This year NM will publish 300 original articles, essays, definitions, commentaries, transcripts and other documents on a wide range of subjects and topics. The volunteers who help to keep this publication online, on point, and relevant expected our audience to change — for such a change causes some readers to go elsewhere just as surely as it gives new readers cause to visit.
In the four years NM has been available online, we’ve changed more than our content, for our look and feel, and technical capabilities have evolved as well. NM contributor Gordon Shaffer, has been re-working articles published in prior years to meet our 2010 layout standards. If his name sounds familiar it may be because one of our earliest NM articles was about Gordon Shaffer and his World War II experiences flying with the 384th Bombardier Squadron. That article remains the most read of the 850 we’ve published.
Critical Thinking
What none of us knew, nor expected, was that our move to broader content would change us, both as contributors as well as personally. Mikael Blaisdell, one of this nation’s most articulate experts in Software As A Service [ SaaS ] helped us to guide our CEO compensation ideas as well as what ought to be published as Critical Thinking.
What Mike said that got our attention was “I’m a CEO, therefore I get equal to what other CEOs get, regardless of whether or not my company is tanking. And if you don’t agree, I’ll jigger the books and take it anyway.” Leave it to Mikael to cut through the fog to get to the germ of an idea.
Human Experience
Jeffrey Slee saw opportunity to expand on coverage of our shared human experiences when he read the first draft of a real-life story about male bonding, fishing and discovery. His enthusiasm and encouragement broadened that one story to a series of eight stories about the Human Condition. Jeff also drove our logic series and definitions development and helped to define our Decision Making section. He co-authored materials with Harley Blank and helped to assure that Tony Koorlander’s work was compelling and successful.
Aviation
It was Harley Blank who insisted that our aviation coverage be technically accurate down to terminology, procedure description and phraseology. Along with Jeff Slee, who defined and hand coded the air traffic control transcript in that article, Harley carefully checked every technical item, word, description and assumption.
Together, Jeff and Harley helped NM to publish what has become a worldwide standard for technically accurate, relevant, probative and credible information about Chesley Sullenberger’s day at the office. Today our Aviation section remains very small, but we’re confidant that what’s there is worth reading.
Science
Harley Blank, an experienced aviator, inveterate scientist and renown amateur astronomer, also pioneered our Science section with the first in a series of articles about the accomplishments of Edwin Hubble as well as the immensely valuable scientific contributions of the Hubble Space Telescope.
Law
When Richard Parsons first considered contributing to a section on legal matters, cases and decisions, he said what we published had to meet two critical criteria. It had to be readable and understandable to non lawyers, but not at the expense of accuracy and legal foundation. Like our aviation section, Law remains sparsely populated, but Richard Parson’s article on revisiting the fairness doctrine is widely read in every language we support every day, around the world.
Business & Finance
Although we began writing about Economics in 2008, the addition of Business, Finance and Banking came about due to the credit market seizure in the fall of 2008. What we’ve published in those areas have been largely well received, but also sharply criticized for being accusatorial.
Britain
Tony Koorlander provides Newsroom readers an incisive and critical view of British media, finance and government. His reports on BBC programming and news coverage have been a major contributor to our international content as well as of increasing interest to NM readers in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.
Media History
One of the original areas of NM content was the preservation of electronic media history. NM contributor, and former radio news director and television news anchor Bill McCormick continues to expand his compelling series about the early days in television. His accounts of the people who created the medium, their challenges and their accomplishments are among the most popular we publish. Especially by members of the Midwestern and Eastern chapters of the Academy Of Television Arts And Sciences who frequent his articles daily.
Movies
Richard Evans, along with Jeff and Liliane Slee, are avid movie fans. Their encouragement and suggestions, including Dick Evans’ demand that his favorite movies be watched and considered, produced only one article, but more will follow now that he has scheduled a showing of several more films in December.
Planning 2010 Content
This month, as our first year of broad content has become clearer to NM contributors as well as our readers, we’re examining what if any adjustments ought to be considered for 2010. Toward that end, we believe some readers may want to offer their opinions, ideas, suggestions or comments.
Best Of 2009
Bill Moore and Gordon Shaffer have been invited to identify the best Newsroom Magazine articles and essays of 2009. The ten finalist articles will be republished in their entirety during the Christmas-New Year’s break from December 21st through the 31st. Readers wanting to offer suggestions or nominations may email us at this link: Newsroom Ten Best Nomination.
Newsroom readers who would like to offer comments on content or editorial policy are invited to email them to us before our final 2010 publishing decisions are made in mid December.
Click Here To Email Content & Editorial Policy Comments To Newsroom Magazine