NT:Your title at theHartford Courant is Online Editor; what are your responsibilities in connection with theHartford Courant’s CTNOW Web site?
GD: I am responsible for all news and entertainment content posted online from the Hartford Courant, its affiliated Tribune sister Web sites, and from our 20 content affiliates, which include Fox 61 WTIC-TV, Connecticut Public Television and National Public Radio WNPR, the Hartford Advocate, the Yale Daily News, the Fairfield County Weekly, the New Haven Advocate, and the East Haven Courier among others.
I am also responsible for developing Web-only content, bring- ing newsroom projects onto the Web site in a form that makes sense for the medium, and a host of technical duties relating to the platform itself—one shared by all Tribune Web sites.
NT:How many people, with what types of backgrounds, work at the electronic version of theHartford Courant? What are the different roles being carried out? What is it like “behind the scenes?”
GD:The staff numbers 18 people. A general manager, online editor, three producers, a site developer, a sales manager, three sales people, several classified folks, and a few other ancillary positions. Most, if not all of us, came from the newspaper.
Behind the scenes, it’s nonstop action. We are all working extremely hard to make this a profitable business both for the Hartford Courant, and our parent company The Tribune. On the
content side and the advertising side we work closely with the newspaper. In addition, we work with our TV partners Fox 61—
a Tribune-owned station, and NECN (a cable station) in terms of moving video content to the partners and online.
NT:I am a Hartford Courant subscriber and I read most of your newspaper every day. When I visit the CTNOW Web site I have noticed that the site offers the reader a great deal of flexibility to search for current as well as older news stories, to look for specific goods and services via the classifieds, and to find obit- uaries and town news. As I browse the site I think one of its strengths is that it offers a great deal of regional and town news. For example, it appears as though I can look at the town news from other editions of the paper whereas my subscription to the physical paper only includes a few towns in close prox- imity to me. CTNOW also has links to town information that sometimes rivals the actual town’s Web sites. What are some other areas of the Web site that offer this type of comprehen- sive coverage?
GD:Our town story galleries are probably our most broad areas of content, and of the greatest interest to the largest number of users. In the area of entertainment, we offer the ability to read reviews from theCourant and our affiliates, then check out ven- ues for upcoming shows in our entertainment databases, and buy tickets, too. We have databases online, for many things, including current census data, an Internet directory, elections information and results. Further, we carry multimedia content, extensive photo and video galleries, and special project reports.
A recent special project discusses Puerto Rico’s 50 years of commonwealth status at http://www.ctnow.com/news/nation world/hc-pr50-sp.special.
NT: Although there’s plenty of timely news available at CTNOW, the Courant’s Web site does not run the columns by many of the syndicated writers, which appear in the print newspaper.
While Ellen Goodman’s columns and George Will’s items are available for example, John Rosemond’s parental advice is not.
I realize I can find them at other Web sites, but I miss the one- stop reading convenience I get with the physical paper. Why aren’t some syndicated columnists present at CTNOW?
GD:We don’t have Web rights to publish certain wire-service stories and photographs. At this point, we have determined that the cost of adding these would not necessarily translate into substantial increases in site traffic or advertising sales.
NT:So the decisions seem to be mainly related to profit. Is that also the reason I haven’t been able to find many of my favorite features such as the crossword puzzle, the comics, the editorial cartoons, as well as some of the other items that really comple- ment the paper for me? I realize the serious news seeker will get most of what is needed at the Web site, but speaking for those of us who enjoy the more recreational aspects of the newspaper, may I ask if these items are omitted for any particu- lar reason?
GD:We don’t see our mission as one to duplicate the newspa- per. We complement the print product, choosing carefully the products that add value at a premium cost to us. Given a choice between adding a crossword puzzle or increasing Web-only con- tent, or local stories, the choice is clear—we choose what is of most interest to the greatest number of users. Metrics data has shown us the traffic for these extras is limited.
NT: I see; the decisions are not arbitrary. How does the Courant’s Web site work with its partners to bring added value to the reader that is not present in the physical newspaper?
GD:We place their content on our site, giving us added depth.
In return, they are associated with one of the biggest and best Web sites in the state. The affiliate content is clearly marked, and a link back to the affiliates’ sites, giving them an opportunity for expanded traffic. As I noted earlier, we work closely with our television partners, too.
NT: In addition to complementing the physical paper, do any aspects of the Web site go far beyond what is possible in newsprint? Are you especially pleased with any particular parts of the Web site?
GD: The “Special Reports” page (http://www.ctnow.com/
news/specials) showcases the best work of our content team that enhances the print projects in an online format. We take great pride in improving on what the newspaper has done, in our own medium.
NT:Newspapers take up a lot of space and I don’t always have time to read every story. One of the useful aspects about the Courant’s site is that special materials are archived. Your photo galleries for instance. I can use them to go back in the news to 2001 if I wish. The Special Reports link you mentioned features some stories back to 1998. I don’t keep more than a week’s worth of the actual newspaper, so how far back in time does free content like this extend? Besides the photo gallery and the Special Reports, can the reader find other sections of the Web
site that archive materials? What are some of the alternatives for readers who need older news?
GD:Most stories are available for two weeks. In many cases the producers can set individual stories and galleries to live indefinitely. The users won’t be able to tell what lives beyond two weeks. But generally, if the story is available, there will be a link in the respective area of the site. We keep Special Reports online for extended periods, as many other Web sites link to our work. In general for users, information older than two weeks must be retrieved from our paid archives.
NT: Does the Web site sell many passes to the archives?
GD:A fair number—and the demand is growing. We also sell photographs online.
NT: Some of the free newsletters that are offered are worth- while. The news update called “News@3” is one of the most valuable. Besides this update, how often is the home page of CTNOW refreshed with new information?
GD: The home page, the nation/world page, the state wire page, and several other pages are updated 24/7. The producers make choices on what will appear at the top of the home page.
Late at night, we automate that area.
NT:As a news and Web site professional, do you look to any other particular sites for ideas? Also, what Web sites do you tend to visit regularly on a professional level?
GD: The Tribune sites, the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, and MSNBC.
NT: Does anyone in your business think that newspapers should cease to publish paper copies and just become virtual subscription news sources?
GD: No one has figured out a successful, lasting business model for news Web sites yet. We’re all still finding our way.