August 15, 2005

'Portland Tribune' As Public Square?

Look To North Carolina For A Real Opportunity

Despite the various and sundry (scroll down) protestations from those who have managed to actually remain employed by the Portland Tribune that we should move along and that there's nothing to see, the paper clearly is at yet another crossroads.

After a literal reduction in the size of the paper its printed on, a round of layoffs last year, a move out of the city it covers, another round of layoffs, and the elimination of its business section, it's somewhat hard to swallow the assertions that all is well.

But whatever the basis for these reductions, it seems perhaps an opportune moment to suggest some ideas of our own.

"The Tribune is all about Portland," wrote the paper's president at the end of June, "and the people, issues, neighborhoods, businesses and unique features that define Portland as a great community in which to live, work and play."

If indeed Steve Clark truly believes this, then we suggest to him that now is the perfect moment to make the paper and its website truly reflect it, in form as well as in content.

Earlier this year, we had some indication that at least a few people at the Tribune had read of the experiment in North Carolina being undertaken by the News-Record, through which the paper seeks to turn itself and its website into something of a "public square" for Greensboro and its environs.

We urge whoever is actually left over at the Tribune to read, or re-read, the document procued by Lex Alexander for the News-Record, and to start thinking of ways to run a similar experiment here in Portland.

One easy example that's been discussed, and in at least one case attempted, by newspapers who have taken up the mantle of the News-Record model: Posting letters to the editor in weblog format at the Tribune website.

Why? First, because it transforms any given letter to the editor from a static expression of one person's opinion into the starting point for a conversation. If, as Clark professes, the Tribune is about "the people, issues, neighborhoods, businesses and unique features that define Portland as a great community" then why not let those people discuss and debate those issues, neighborhoods, businesses, and unique features for themselves?

Second, taking this approach would provide fresh content for the paper itself, since its editors could then recycle the discussions taking place in the reader comments about letters to the editor into material for the "Insight" pages of the print edition.

What's more, as we suggested in January where instead of making predictions for 2005 we issued our demands, give columnists such as Phil Stanford their own blogs on the Tribune website.

"It doesn't have to cut into your column, which already is more or less a print blog anyway," we wrote back in January. "Instead, it would mean you can weigh in whenever you want, and perhaps then draw upon items from your blog for expansion and further thought in your print column."

Other not-so-random possibiilities: Make every article published on the Tribune website capable of accepting pings when residents of the local blogopshere link to them. Again, this is consistent with Clark's claim that the paper is about "the people, issues, neighborhoods, businesses and unique features that define Portland as a great community."

Take that further, if Clark really wants to be bold and draw attention to the Tribune not just locally but from throughout the range of people tracking the redevelopment of newspapers in America today. Rather than simply turning to local bloggers for quotes (such as turning to Jack Bogdanski for its recent article on Erik Sten), why not occassionally buy the rights to republish what the Tribune and its editors feel is worthwhile reporting or commentary from local bloggers?

There are dozens of ideas, or sparks for ideas, contained within the document Lex Alexander produced for the News-Record out in North Carolina. And, you might notice, that paper didn't keep their ideas under wraps and to themselves. Rather, the published them for everyone to see for themselves -- and for other newspapers around the country to consider and perhaps replicate.

If, as Clark says, the Portland Tribune really is meant to be (in a sense) of, by, and for the people of Portland, then why not transform the paper into something that reflects this mission in form as well as content?

If, as is evident from the developments of the past two years, the paper has limited staff, limited space, and even now more limited access to Portland itself, why not explore the means for the paper to directly reflect the discussions Portlanders themselves have every single day about their city?

To do so in no way suggests that they somehow stop doing the original work they've done all along, or that enabling a communiy discussion should somehow replace their own reporting. Instead, what they have before them is an opportuntiy to supplement all the things a newspaper is supposed to do. In doing so, they could put real meaning behind Steve Clark's words, and do something no other media outlet in town is doing.

With a few relatively easy first steps, the Tribune could turn the discussion amongst watchers of local media from one that now seems funereal into one of excitement over a newspaper daring to try something bold.

To the Tribune: Don't defensively hunker down. Open up and take a chance on something Portland's never seen before.

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