How Do They Decide What's In the Paper?

A great source of information about media, ethics and emerging media trends is the Poynter Institite. Earlier today, Steve Outing posted an item in Poynter's "E-Media Tidbits" about a new blog giving a newspaper's readers a look inside the paper's news decision-making process. Here's what he wrote:

A Newspaper Blog for TransparencyHere's another innovation from the Ventura County Star in California: a new blog by assistant managing editor for new media and technology John Moore that offers a daily peek into the decision-making process that goes into story choices for the front page (and the rest) of the paper each day. Moore is writing up the daily news budget -- listing and explaining the top stories for tomorrow's edition -- and inviting readers to give feedback and tips on the yet-to-be-published stories. He explains it to his readers this way: "Here's your chance to sit in on those discussions as we look at the stories that are being discussed to run in tomorrow's paper. So pull up a chair and let us know if you agree or disagree with our choices."(Of course, this is going to tip off competing media to what the Star has planned. While that was a newspaper concern in the early days of newspaper websites, we seem to have reached a point where it no longer matters.)Yet another innovative Star blog involves the opinion page. As new media director Howard Owens explains it, instead of running published letters to the editor on the website each day, letters will be posted to a letters blog as soon as they are edited and approved for publication. Comments will be enabled on each letter.Now that's a concept I like: Not only does the Star's website allow blog-like reader comments at the end of stories (here's an example), but even letters to the editor include comments from other readers.