Document Actions
(Observer) squared? Check the byline.
posted at 2007-01-11 21:00 | Last modified 2007-11-14 10:38
Last night's House Dem caucus was covered as expertly as ever by the Charlotte Observer's Mark Johnson and the Raleigh News & Observer's Andy Curliss. The catch? The two former rivals wrote the article together, as a team. The Observer's version looks a little different than the N&O's, but if you look closer, you'll see the main difference is that the paragraphs have been rearranged. And the credits are slightly different, too.
Synergy can be good for efficiency. But where's the line between synergy and consolidation? When N&O owner McClatchy bought the Charlotte Observer last March, execs on both sides pledged each paper would maintain its own identity, sharing content only in a few areas like sports. Politics was supposed to be off limits, according to McClatchy's own article:
[...] Charlotte executives say that's unlikely. "When it comes down to it, no one will be able to cover Raleigh for Charlotte [readers] better than Charlotte Observer reporters," said Rick Thames, editor of The Charlotte Observer.
Or this, from N&O Public Editor Ted Vaden, August 20, 2006:
An area to watch is the future relationship of the two papers' separate state government staffs in Raleigh. Editors at both papers promise their traditional competition will continue, but details haven't been worked out. "Our Raleigh reporters are still competitive with their Raleigh reporters," said [N&O Managing Editor] John Drescher.
It's no secret that newspapers, more than most mainstream media, are looking for ways to cut costs and maximize coverage. But Triangle residents can't even buy the Charlotte Observer off the rack here anymore. And when it comes to political reporting, I'm surprised the state's two top papers in its top two metro areas seem to be moving away from dedicated regional correspondents.
