Spring Street Project

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In December 2006, a team of Los Angeles Times reporters delivered management with a critique of the paper's online news efforts known as the Spring Street Project[1]. The report condemned the Times as "web-stupid[1]." The Times' Web site, latimes.com, was described as losing ground, hampered by a lack of corporate leadership, insufficient technology, a dearth of web-friendly content and divisions between the print and online staff[1]. The authors made a series of recommendations, including greater attention for the Web site from top management, increases in online staff, more Web training for newspaper staff and the development of "hyper-local" online projects[1]. The report concluded by suggesting that the future success of the Times online would depend on it being remade as an "information retailer" that focuses on news and information local to Southern California[1].

The next month, Publisher David Hiller cited the project's report to justify a restructuring of Times management[2]. The sitting editor of latimes.com was reassigned[2]. An "innovation team," headed by Russ Stanton, was created and charged with "the transformation of our newsroom into a 24/7 operation that breaks news all the time online (and mobile, etc.)[2]." The general manager of latimes.com, Rob Barrett, was elevated to vice president[2]. And a search was opened for a new latimes.com editor[2], ultimately settling on former nytimes.com and iht.com staffer Meredith Artley[3].

In a related meeting with Times staff, Editor James O'Shea described the print newsroom as a "cold, defensive, insular and conservative place, plagued by a bunker mentality that hides behind tradition and treats change as a threat[4]." He declared that the online and print staffs should be considered one unit, not two, and the Times was in "a fight to recoup threatened revenue that finances our news gathering[4]." Potential remedies cited by O'Shea included an improved travel site that would allow users to book trips and an overhaul of entertainment-related content online[4].

[edit] Authors[1]

  • Vernon Loeb
  • Aaron Curtiss
  • Richard Rushfield
  • Michalene Busico
  • Doug Smith
  • Henry Weinstein
  • Julie Bowles
  • Michelle Maltais
  • Glenn Bunting
  • Chris Gaither
  • T. Christian Miller
  • Janet Lundblad
  • David Pierson
  • Marilyn Thompson
  • Simon Li
  • Marc Duvoisin

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Mayrav. "LAT's Scathing Internal Memo. Read It Here.", fishbowlLA, 26 January 2007. 
  2. ^ a b c d e Roderick, Kevin. "Times retools on web — again", LA Observed, 24 January 2007. 
  3. ^ "Meredith Artley and Aaron Curtiss to Accelerate Integration of Print and Online Newsrooms", Los Angeles Times, 6 February 2007. 
  4. ^ a b c Welch, Matt. "Spring Street Project unveiled!", latimes.com, 24 January 2007.