May 1, 2009
‘Magnificent’ MSM: Don Hayner’s Lisagor speech
The tools of journalism have changed, but the strongest methods for gathering news are constant, Chicago Sun Times editor-in-chief Don Hayner said in his speech at the Lisagor awards banquet (Jane Hirt, Tribune editor, spoke as well).
“Even though bloggers and citizen journalists can piss me off, I certainly see their value,” Hayner said. “Of course we have to embrace the many ‘platform’ changes we’ve seen. But a lot of those changes are about delivery of news, not the finding of it.”
The former metro editor said the best way to gather news was still to assign full time reporters to the primary listening posts such as local government (He praised Sun Times city hall reporter Fran Spielman, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the event). Journalists cultivate sources daily and work with experienced editors coordinating the information, Hayner said.
“Think of it, platoons of reporters all marching to the tune of news,” Hayner said. “This, of course, is the newspaper model. And in varying ways it’s the TV and radio model. And you know what? IT’S MAGNIFICENT.”
Hear more from Don at CMW’s Making Media Connections conference this June.
report by Workshop intern Christopher Brinckerhoff from Hayner’s comments
