Analog to Digital: An “Autobiography” by Bits

December 11, 1963

German Farewell to JFK, 1963

The West German magazine Bunte Illustrierte published an extensive “Farewell to Kennedy” in its Dec. 11, 1963, edition. It seems this edition was for the Munchner/Frankurter regions. According to Wikipedia: Bunte (company’s preferred spelling in capital letters) is a German-language…

September 1, 1969

Crisis at San Francisco State: Instant Book

Going to school at San Francisco State University was a great and unusual journalism education. What made it special was not the classroom work, which was good. The real training was in covering the drama in the hallways, the excitement…

October 11, 1969

Being Part of the News

While in journalism school at San Francisco State University, I was stringer for United Press International. UPI was the second largest wire service in the U.S. during the 1970s. It was a tradition that one of the college newspaper editors…

September 1, 1970

Great Honor for a Student Journalist: Kilgore Award

In late summer, I received notice that I had won the Barney Kilgore Award sponsored by the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation [later renamed as the Society of Professional Journalists Foundation]. The award included $2,500, which would be presented at the…

December 1, 1970

An Award Dinner That Has Lots of Intersections for the Future

One of the great honors I’ve received is the Bernard Kilgore award from SDX [now known as the Society of Professional Journalists]. I was a student at San Francisco State University and the award came with $2,500 check [ about…

June 4, 1972

Joining the Chicago Tribune

I joined the Chicago Tribune as a copy reader sometime during the week of June 4, 1972. I’m not trying to be vague about the actual start date, I just don’t remember. However, I do have my “hire letter” from…

February 1, 1974

Young Readers and the Future of the Chicago Tribune

The Chicago Tribune, in an attempt to attract younger readers, created a committee of newsroom staffers under the age of 30 to explore why the paper was so "dull." …

March 8, 1974

Learning Culinary Confidence

And now for something completely different. During the “sectional revolution” at the Chicago Tribune, there was an opportunity for those with a little extra time and some energy to write articles for the paper’s new feature sections. Since I liked…

April 30, 1974

Chicago Tribune Publishes the Watergate Tapes in 1 Day, 1974

One of the moments of journalism history that I had a chance to live was the Chicago Tribune’s publishing of some of the Nixon White House tapes – the Watergate tapes – in 1974. It was also a moment where…

March 1, 1975

When You Are the ONLY Graphics Editor

About a year after starting the Chicago Tribune’s graphics desk, I wrote a very long and detailed memo about what those duties. The memo was for the lucky [or unlucky] editor who had to fill-in for me during vacation or…

April 5, 1975

Big City Newspaper: Chicago Tribune in 1975

The Chicago Tribune Marketing Department, sometime in 1975 [my guess] produced a guide to the newspaper for the educational services department of the company. It was a look, written for consumers [young ones] about how the Tribune was created —…

November 26, 1975

Chicago Tribune — 5 Years Hence [1980 as the Future]

I don’t remember who asked for this memo about the future or why we were looking at “five years hence” (1980). This is probably one of my earliest “future look” memos. At the time this was written, the Tribune was…

February 1, 1978

Social Contract with Readers, 1978

The American Society of Newspaper Editors asked Ruth Clark to look at the issues between readers and editors. She refers to this as the “new social contract.” The study, done in 1978, discussed one of the most important issues, behavior…

January 1, 1979

Pushing for Better Informational Graphics

One of the interesting challenges of creating a new kind of editing role, the graphics editor, was helping others in the newsroom see the importance of involving the visual folks early in the process. Roger Fidler, a like-minded design advocate…

September 28, 1979

SND’s First Convention: My First Speech

The Society of News Design [at that point the group was called Newspaper Designers of America] held its first convention. It was in Chicago, at the Tribune, Sept. 29-30, 1979. I held the newly created job of graphics editor [at…

March 1, 1980

How a Graphics Editor Works at the Chicago Tribune

I gave a speech at the one of the first Society of Newspaper Designer conventions about my role as Graphics Editor of the Chicago Tribune. An unedited transcript was used as the article. I learned something about my ego. Too much.…

May 3, 1980

First Personal Computer, Sort of…

My first compute was an Atari 800. It wasn't my last.…

January 26, 1981

Chicago Tribune Launches Graphics Service

The launch of the Chicago Tribune Graphics Service [CTGS] provided an opportunity to learn about customer service and satisfaction. With real money on the line and a desire to grow the number of clients, thinking beyond the Tribune’s own graphics…

June 1, 1982

Chicago Tribune Graphics Service’s 1st Catalog

With the Chicago Tribune graphics desk a success, Tribune company launched a graphics service that sent copies to newspapers around the U.S. and to five international customers.…

December 11, 1982

Chicago Tribune Newsroom Award Was Extra Sweet

When I worked at the Chicago Tribune, the newsroom had a special awards dinner every December. Here’s where the top staffers received recognition [and a very nice check] for accomplishments during the year. Prior to the ceremony, Joe Leonard, an…

January 28, 1983

Named Photo/Graphics Editor at Chicago Tribune

On Jan. 28, 1983 an Chicago Tribune assistant managing editor, Michael Argirion, announced that “Howard Finberg is appointed Photo/Graphics Editor, responsible for the Photo Desk and the Graphics Desk.” This was an expansion of my duties, as I was currently…

November 15, 1983

The State of Newspaper Design

Design magazine, the publication of The Society of Newspaper Designers [SND] asked a number of editors to write about various aspects of the state of newspaper design. I used my article talk about three key things: Training [aka development] Technology…

January 29, 1984

Perhaps My First Poynter Faculty Appearance

While I can’t be sure, I think this is the seminar where I did one of my first Poynter teaching sessions. I know I attended Poynter as a participant earlier than this date. It is all a bit cloudy. Here’s…

August 12, 1984

Teaching College Students, Poynter 1984

In spring of 1984, Mario Garcia invited me to teach at the College Seniors/graduate Students Newspaper Design Seminar August 12-18. Twelve students were selected for this Poynter fellowships in Newspaper Design. Here’s what Garcia wrote about the seminar in his…

January 1, 1985

Chicago Tribune Photo Request Form, 1985

An example of the Chicago Tribune’s photo request form used in 1985. Picture assignments were made through the picture assignment desk, either in the main city room or in the suburban Hinsdale, IL, bureau. Assignments were requested by either the…

September 4, 1985

Changing Jobs Without Moving

In August 1985 I quit the San Jose Mercury News [that’s a different story] and joined the San Francisco Chronicle as its first Photography and Graphics Editor. Part of the job switch was a ‘run from’ the Mercury News; part…

October 22, 1986

Looking to the Future: 1986 to 2001

In the past, journalism conventions serving management and editors, such as the Associated Press Managing Editors conference, were major events. Hundreds of participants, dozens of panels and speeches. So important that the APME published what the called the “Red Book.” …

November 25, 1986

Changing The Chronicle’s Visual Image. Or Not.

In late 1986, I wrote a memo to the paper’s publisher (Richard Thieriot) and editor (William German) urging a discussion about the design of the San Francisco Chronicle. It was a memo deeply rooted in understatement as both Thieriot and…

March 20, 1987

Early Online Experience: JForum on CompuServe

In the mid-1980s, I joined one of the first online services, CompuServe. [Previously, I had been a member of The Source, but that’s a different post.] One of the reasons I liked CompuServe was its journalism area, called JForum. Jim Cameron…

June 4, 1987

Saying Goodbye to Great SF Chronicle Photographers

One of my great joys working at the San Francisco Chronicle was the photography department. I was the first real photo editor at the paper and one of my goals was to improve the opportunities for the photographers to contribute…

June 5, 1987

Arizona Republic Announces Redesign (and My Hiring)

The Arizona Republic’s newsroom newsletter, EN, announces the hiring of Mario Garcia to redesign The Arizona Republic. And, burying the lede [grin], my hiring. TWO MORE STEPS have been taken in our continuing effort to improve The Republic: A contract…

July 7, 1987

Joining the Arizona Republic

Moving to the Arizona Republic was a big and important step in my career. I finally reached the level I had work toward — the second level in newsroom management. In 1987, The Republic was run by the managing editor. …

October 1, 1987

Covering the Big Story: Pope Visits Phoenix

On September 14, 1987, as a part of his whirlwind tour of the United States, Pope John Paul II visited Phoenix. It was one of the biggest news events that The Arizona Republic and its sister newspaper, The Phoenix Gazette,…

April 27, 1988

API Design 2000 Seminar. The 1988 Invitation

In 1988, the American Press Institute invited a group of designers and editors to the J. Montgomery Curtis Memorial Seminar on the future of newspaper design. Here’s what the seminar leader, John G. Finneman, wrote to participants: We will have…

July 1, 1988

Mario Garcia on The Arizona Republic Redesign

The Arizona Republic’s redesign was an interesting exercise in trying to find a way to please a publisher who had the dream of making The Republic a New York Times-style newspaper. That meant he wanted a subdued approach to headlines…

July 21, 1988

Membership, Instructions and More for API Design 2000 Seminar

I’ve uploaded a collection of memos about the American Press Institute’s J. Montgomery Curtis Memorial Seminar on the future of newspaper design. The collection starts with the invite / acceptance letter in April 1988. On July 21, API sent out…

September 6, 1988

Writing/Graphics: Serving the Reader

In 1988, under the direction of Mario Garcia, The Poynter Institute held a seminar titled: Writing/Graphics: Serving the Reader. This three-day seminar kicked off with an opening “debate” between Garcia and Roy Peter Clark, associate director of the Institute. It…

September 11, 1988

Design 2000 Seminar at API: Presenter and Attendee

I was a presenter and an attendee at the American Press Institute’s Design 2000 and Beyond seminar. Twenty-two leading U.S. and Canadian newspaper designers/editors were invited to API to discuss “newspapers at the turn of the century, from a design…

September 15, 1988

Year 2000 Viewed by 1988 Committee

Robert [Bob] Cochnar, whom I worked with at the San Francisco Chronicle, invited me to join his Associated Press Managing Editors committee about the future of newspapers. Called the Year 2000 Committee, one of the goals of the group was…

September 21, 1988

Poynter Seminar on Design for 1980s

One of the first seminars I taught at was The Poynter Institute for Media Studies’ “Newspaper Design for the ’80s”. Here’s the invitation letter from Mario Garcia bio, associate director of Poynter. I had been at the Institute earlier as…

October 10, 1988

Presstine Magazine Covers 2000 Design Project

The industry publication Presstime covered the results of the API’s design seminar in its October, 1988 edition. The article’s lede: Two dozen movers and shakers in the field of newspaper design pondered the substance and form of 21st century newspapers…

January 15, 1989

The Graphics Editor Takes Charge

The Washington Journalism Review ran a story about how newspapers were turning to graphics [and graphics editors] to give readers new ways of getting information. The late 1980s and early 1990s were exciting time for graphics editors, thanks in part…

January 26, 1989

Brainstorming an Electronic Future for Newspapers, 1989

In late 1988, Jerry Ceppos, managing editor of the San Jose Mercury News, invited a number of folks to help design an ‘electronic’ newspaper designed to serve readers with “increasing access to computers and other modern technology.” I was especially…

October 4, 1989

History of Newspaper Design and Year 2000 Visions

As part of the 1989 Associated Press Managing Editors convention Des Moines, I developed a script for a slideshow about the history of newspaper design and the vision developed from the American Press Institute’s seminar on the future of newspaper…

February 5, 1990

Visual Editing. A New Textbook

In early 1990, Bruce Itule and I published: “Visual Editing. A graphic guide for journlists”. This textbook was aimed at editors at newspapers who handled various elements — photos, illustrations and informational graphics. It also tied all those elements together…

September 1, 1990

Introduction to Best of Photojournalism Book

In 1990, a group of editors took on the task of editing and producing the National Press Photographer Association‘s annual “Best of Photojournalism” publication. This annual book showcases the awarding winners from the NPPA and University of Missouri contest. This…

November 12, 1990

Electronic Photo Workshop, 1990

Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, digital photography equipment was rare [and expensive]. I’m not just talking about cameras, but also all the equipment needed to process those digital files into a format that could be used in…

March 8, 1991

Training that Changes Your Life: API Seminar

In early 1991 John Oppedahl, The Arizona Republic’s managing editor, nominated me to attend the American Press Institute seminar for Managing Editors [newspapers over 77,000 circulation] in Reston, VA. That seminar did two things: 1. Strengthened some of my leadership…

February 10, 1992

Named President of SND Foundation

I was appointed the first president of the newly formed SND Foundation. We created the foundation with these goals: The SND Foundation, incorporated in February, is the research and education arm of the Society of Newspaper Design. The primary missions…

March 10, 1992

Electronic Newspaper of the Future, 1992

One of the more innovative folks in the design universe was a professor from Spain, Dr. Juan A. Giner. Giner was at the School of Journalism at the University of Navarra. In 1992, he asked several folks for their thoughts…

June 25, 1992

The Digital Future: The Next Technological Steps

At the request of John Oppedahl, my boss at Phoenix Newspapers, I wrote a very long memo about technology and the company’s newspapers, The Arizona Republic and the Phoenix Gazette. The memo was 25 pages. Technology influences the newspaper in…

July 23, 1992

Creating a Foundation to Support SND

One of the challenges of any journalism association is funding. Not just year-to-year funding but long-term support. In 1992 SND created the Society of Newspaper Design Foundation to become the research and educational arm of the society. I was named…

March 7, 1993

Pagination: Implementation & Human Factors

One of my roles as Assistant Managing Editor of The Arizona Republic involved steering Phoenix Newspapers [PNI] into its next generation of pagination, the electronic design and production of newspaper pages. In early March, 1993, the Newspaper Association of America…

June 30, 1993

SND European Workshop

One of the most unusual and fun workshops that I have participated in was a tour of four European cities on behalf of the Society of Newspaper Design in 1993. Between May 7 and 15, six designers and editors gave…

July 5, 1993

Straits Times, Singapore, Workshops

In 1993 I taught a series of workshops or training sessions at the Straits Times newspaper in Singapore. These sessions were aimed at the copy editors and visual editors of the newspaper. Attendees also came from the Business Times publication,…

July 7, 1993

Presentation to Straits Times, Singapore

In July 1993, I was invited to give a series of workshops to the visual journalists at the Straits Times in Singapore. [Straits Times company also owned the Business Times, a tabloid call New Paper and two native language papers:…

October 8, 1993

Techno-Evangelism: Thoughts for Newsroom Leaders

Dealing with technology at The Arizona Republic, especially the introduction of new computer systems, led to a number of presentations about what I called “techno-evangelism.” I wanted newspaper managers to pay more attention to technology and its impact upon their…

October 19, 1993

The New Newsroom

One of the challenges for newsrooms in the 1990s was the introduction of pagination technology. Yet many managers failed to understand how their organizations needed to change.…

December 30, 1993

Named to New Job: Senior Editor/Information Technology

In late 1993 I moved into the newly created position of senior editor/information technology. My duties were varied, but mostly I was charged at looking at new technologies. It was the start of my digital future.…

March 1, 1994

Malofiej Infografia Awards, 1994

In 1994 I was a judge at the 2nd annual Malofiej Awards for Infographics, which were organized by the Spanish chapter of the Society for News Design (SND-E) for accomplishments in journalistic infographics. The awards were given each March in…

March 18, 1994

Media Companies Launch Consortium

This is the official launch of PAFET, Partners Affiliated for Exploring Technology. It was a consortium that hoped that by exploring technology together, these companies would benefit from shared knowledge in the creation of new businesses and/or services. “Our purpose…

April 1, 1994

20 Years of Being a Graphics Editor

In the Spring 1994 edition of Design magazine, the publication of the Society of News Design, I wrote about the creation of a new kind of editor — the graphics editor. It started very simply and quietly. Notes posted on…

September 1, 1994

Understanding the Online Future

Internal report about Online Opportunities published at Phoenix Newspapers, Inc. explored whether a partnership model would be best.…

October 15, 1994

Semi-Frozen Finberg, for a Good Cause

I was the first president of the SND Foundation. I had fund-raising duties. It wasn’t a slam dunk. But I didn’t get dunked for a good cause at the society convention in Kansas City. It was chilly duty for a…

March 1, 1995

1995 Online Service Research Study

In early 1995, PAFET conducted a consumer online market research survey to establish baseline information in order to measure the development of the consumer online market. This document summarizes the goals, approach and results of that study. [PAFET stands for…

April 15, 1995

Pagination: ASNE Asks the Experts

In the mid- 1990s, pagination was the hot topic for editors. Most newspapers were starting on their journey to digitally produce the newspapers via computer terminals. The American Society of Newspaper Editors {ASNE] and the Society of Newspaper Design [SND]…

May 1, 1995

Survey of the Online Consumer, 1994

In the spring of 1994 the Interactive Services Association conducted its third annual survey of online users. The report was released in spring 1995. The survey goal was to better understand how online [and early Internet / Web] users went…

June 1, 1995

Finding the Focus for Online Services

As part of the development process for AzCentral, the Phoenix Newspapers Inc. “skunk works” team undertook a couple of difficult, but important tasks. One task was to better understand our potential audience. With focus groups and other marketing research, we…

June 2, 1995

Dual Online Strategy Memo

You always need a memo to launch something new: Here's the memo I wrote about the multiple online platform strategy for Phoenix Newspapers. This document outlined some of the costs associated with the first two years of the project.…

June 18, 1995

Phoenix Newspapers Enter Cyberspace

The launch of Phoenix Newspaper’s initial efforts in publishing online was covered in The Arizona Republic’s front page on Sunday, June 18, 1995. The story was written by David Hoye, a staff writer on The Republic. Here’s his lede: Arizona…

July 10, 1995

Notes and String: Building the AZ Central Site from Scratch

Creating AZ Central online sites with string and Post-it notes…

December 8, 1995

Arizona Central’s Official Launch Announcements

Even though Arizona Central (AzCentral) was live on both AOL and the Web earlier, we needed to make an official and public announcement about both services. Lots of stuff was included.…

March 1, 1996

Preparing Newspapers for Third Wave of Technology

At the invitation of Olivia Casey, I was invited to write an article for the “ASNE and SND Technology Survey ’96” report. My topic was on the impact of technology and pagination upon the newsroom and journalists. One of my…

September 3, 1996

Named Director of Information Technology

In September of 1996, I was promoted to a new job and new responsibilities; from senior editor/information technology to director of information technology. As the press release noted: He will be responsible for planning of new technology across the company…

October 1, 1996

Looking at the Local Marketplace Providers, 1996

The PAFET group [see item about its founding] commissioned the technology consulting group, the Yankee Group, to look at competitors in local markets. In other words, look at who could compete against newspapers for viewers and advertisers. Here’s a touch…

October 24, 1996

Pagination Into Database Publishing

As Phoenix Newspapers installed its new pagination system from its European vendor, CCI, I became increasingly interested in the human factors of installing new technology. And while I didn’t get it all right, even at our company, we did see…

October 29, 1996

Central Newspaper and Technology

This is a memo/presentation that Howard Finberg presented in October, 1996. The goal twas to show senior leadership and newspaper analysts what Central Newspapers Inc had accomplished. The presentation looked at the information needs of the company and the tools…

January 8, 1997

The Future Direction of Journalism

A memo written to editors at The Arizona Republic and Phoenix Gazette shows some of my thinking about the way journalism is evolving.…

January 8, 1997

The Future, a 1997 Memo

This is a memo I wrote to fellow executives at the Arizona Republic and Phoenix Gazette in early 1997. It outlines some of my views on the importance of online services and about the reorganization of a newsroom to have…

January 23, 1997

Changing the Paradigms of Production

In 1997 I was asked to do a presentation about pagination to a group of users of the Harris computer systems. Even thought Phoenix Newspapers weren’t customers, Harris executives thought our experiences installing the CCI system would be helpful in…

January 30, 1997

Named as IT Director

In February 1997, I was named as the director of information technology. Here’s what the company newsletter wrote: Howard Finberg, director of information technology, will direct the Information Services department for the next 18 to 24 months, effective Jan. 30,…

February 20, 1997

Running Technology at Phoenix Newspapers

In early 1997 I took on the assignment of running Phoenix Newspaper’s technology department for an 18 to 24-month period. The goal was to bring some of my strategic thinking to the daily operational aspects of the department. Here’s what…

April 3, 1997

Technology Leadership

A presentation about technology projects at The Arizona Republic with the focus on IT leadership and projects for the future of the company.…

April 3, 1997

Technology Leadership at The Arizona Republic

One of my roles at The Arizona Republic was to run the information technology department. One of my important responsibilities was to make the case internally and externally for investment in equipment and services. In April 1997, I did a…

May 1, 1997

How the Arizona Republic Installed its 2nd Gen Pagination System

One of the most read newspaper industry technologist is David Cole, who published “The Cole Papers.” In 1997 he sent one of his reporters, John Bryan, to write about how Phoenix Newspapers replaced its first generation of pagination with a…

February 18, 1999

10th Annual Interactive Newspaper Conference

I was a speaker at the Editor & Publisher magazine’s 10th Annual Interactive Newspapers Conference in Atlanta, Ga. My speech was recorded live on February 18, 1999 in Atlanta, Georgia. Here’s a bit of what I said at the start…

February 18, 1999

Speech at the 10th Annual Interactive Newspaper Conference

In February 1999, I gave a presentation to the the interactive newspaper group gathered in Atlanta, GA. It was a speech about what was going on at Central Newspapers and about the future of newspapers. Here’s a taste: Another couple…

April 30, 1999

CNI Strategies Presentation

Here’s another presentation about future technologies.…

June 1, 1999

Pagination and a Look Into the Future of Newspapers

In 1999 I was asked to contribute to a book about pagination being published by the Society of News Design and the Association of News Editors. You can download the entire book from here. At the end of the article…

September 15, 1999

Using New Technology: Lotus Notes at Newspaper Company

Lotus Notes became an essential technology at Central Newspapers. We were fairly innovative. Innovative enough to be invited to the big user conference in September 1999.…

November 15, 1999

Scenarios at The Arizona Republic

In 1999 the management of Phoenix Newspapers, publishers of The Arizona Republic and AZ Central, embarked on an ambitious project to take the company into the next decade. Part of that process involved writing scenarios about “possible futures”. We had…

January 1, 2000

Helping the Newspaper Industry See into the Future

Randy Bennett, a friend and industry colleague for more than 20 years, ran an interesting project at the Newspaper Association of America during his time as a vice president. Randy created the Horizon Watching initiative, with the hopes of being…

February 8, 2000

Emerging Tools and Technology. Presentation in 2000

As vice president of CNI Ventures, I was charged with looking for and understanding new technologies that might impact the newspaper industry and, more important, Central Newspapers, Inc. I gave a presentation to the Interactive Newspaper Conference in early 2000…

February 1, 2001

ONA Credibility Project Announcement

This is the announcement of the Digital Credibility Study, which was funded by the Knight Foundation…

February 5, 2001

Understanding Online Credibility. An ONA Project

One of the more interesting and challenging project I undertook as a consultant was as a co-author on a study of online credibility for the Online News Association, which was funded by the Knight Foundation. The purpose of the study…

April 3, 2001

Virtual Brainstorming for ONA project

The ONA project used virtual brainstorm, facilitated D.S. Griffen & Associates. It was a way to gather a large number of people to brainstorm the project’s main survey…

October 3, 2001

Digital Credibility Study Release Announcement

A copy of the announcement that the study results will be released at the ONA convention in Berkeley, Ca. on Oct. 27, 2001…

October 27, 2001

Presentation of ONA Digital Credibility Report

Here’s a copy of the main online credibility presentation given at the ONA convention in 2001. The goal was to share the results of the ONA Credibility study conducted in 2000-2001. This PDF includes notes or a script for the…

November 1, 2001

Come Together: Defining the Complementary Roles of Print and Online

In 2001 I worked with the Newspaper Association of America’s circulation federation to develop a report on how print and online departments could work together to further the sales of subscriptions. Working with me on the project was my consulting…

January 22, 2002

The ONA Digital Credibility Report

This is a PDF of the Online News Association study on digital credibility, co-authored by Howard Finberg and Martha Stone with assistance from Diane Lynch. Here’s what the goals of the project were: ONA’s Web Credibility Study, for which it…

February 11, 2002

The Newspaper Industry’s Inflection Point

At Editor & Publisher’s 13th annual Interactive Conference and Trade Show in San Jose I gave a presentation titled “Digital Deliverance: Impact on the Newspaper Industry.” One of the sections that rang true in 2002 and still relevant was about…

February 18, 2002

Poynter’s E-Learning Future. The First Memo

You have to start someplace when you are looking a big project. I had joined The Poynter Institute in 2002 as its “Presidential Scholar.” One of my tasks was to explore e-learning and how the Institute might use that method…

June 21, 2002

Newspapers and the Dilemma of Innovation

It was clear, even to me, that by the early 2000s, the newspaper industry would be facing its greatest challenge. The disruption was widespread in many industries and there were lessons from book publishers, record companies and even the steel…

July 23, 2002

Poynter’s First E-Learning Course: A Test of Potentials

As Poynter’s Presidential Scholar, one of my tasks was to look at the viability of e-learning. This fit within my portfolio of exploring the intersection of journalism, technology and training. To help me [and Poynter] better understand the potential of…

November 14, 2002

Convergence and the Changing Media Corporate Culture

A speech at the opening of The Newsplex at the University of South Carolina. Topic is convergence and changing media corporate culture.…

December 3, 2002

Convergence and the Corporate Boardroom

In early December 2002, I published an article for Poynter Online based on a speech I gave at the opening of Newsplex, a prototype newsroom of the future, at the University of South Carolina. Newsplex was a cooperative project between…

May 20, 2003

Poynter NewsU Technology Scope, Version One

With this memo, Robin Sloan and I outlined the technology that would power The Poynter Institute’s ‘s e-learning platform, News University. NewsU needed to “have a database at its core.” That was true then; it is still true. NewsU.org will…

June 27, 2003

Poynter’s News University: Site Structure

I’ve have learned that when trying to create something new, it is helpful to draw a picture. Some folks learn by reading; others by looking at a picture. The site diagram of the 1st technology phase of Poynter’s e-learning project…

July 21, 2003

Developing the First NewsU Platform, LMS

Poynter’s e-learning site was originally built upon two different platforms. The first was a Web-based content system that used Microsoft technology. That linked to a learning management system created by eCollege. In July 2003 Robin Sloan and I spec’d out…

October 30, 2002

NewsU’s First ‘Public’ Beta

Even before much of the foundation of Poynter's e-learning project was laid, we tested the concept of an online group seminar, thanks to the support of the Asian American Journalism Association and one of its most forward looking leaders, Mae Chang.…

December 15, 2003

Remembering Nelson Poynter and Poynter Colleagues

In celebration of Nelson Poynter’s 100th birthday, the entire Poynter Institute staff gathered for two staff photographs in 2003. The top photos is the traditional. The bottom photos has everyone wearing bow tie, a Nelson Poynter trademark. This photograph probably…

June 29, 2004

NewsU’s First Annual Report: Infrastructure

With great sums of money comes great responsibilities to explain how the funding is used. That’s the way it works when it comes to foundations. So, Poynter NewsU sent along its first “annual report” to the Knight Foundation in June…

August 4, 2004

Training Needs of Journalists: Poynter NewsU Survey

As we geared up development of Poynter’s e-learning project, the lack of information about journalists and online training was very evident. While there were many studies about what journalists said they wanted in terms of training, there was scant evidence…

December 10, 2004

E-Learning Rocks, NewsU Launch Movie

J. Paige West, an interactive learning producer at Poynter NewsU, came up with a great idea to help folks understand what we were creating. In the early 2000s, e-learning was still an unknown concept for training and she thought it…

June 15, 2005

Newspaper Training Days: It’s About the Learning

Shortly after the launch of Poynter’s e-learning platform, News University, I was interviewed by the Newspaper Association of America’s monthly magazine, Presstime. The author, Teddi Dineley Johnson, used the 2002 Knight Foundation survey about training, as a way to explore…

September 26, 2005

How NewsU Makes E-Learning Courses

Among the challenges facing Poynter’s e-learning project, NewsU, was the problem of explaining why e-learning could be an effective way to train journalists and the approach we use to make training that works. Here’s what I wrote in a blog…

November 1, 2005

Journalists in Charge of Their Own Training

One of the ways to push a new product: write an article. For the start of NewsU, I wrote a two-page story about Poynter's entry into e-learning. The conclusion remains as valid today as it did in 2005.…

June 1, 2006

The Explosive Growth of Journalism E-Learning

Part of the mission of Poynter’s News University was to provide research on the whether e-learning would be an effective method of training journalists. NewsU launched in April 2005 after a short beta period, with 1961 registered users. In April…

August 24, 2006

NewsU Makes the Connection to Educators at AEJMC

The initial plan for News University, the e-learning site created at The Poynter Institute and funded by the Knight Foundation, was to focus on professional. We didn’t think there we had much of a role to play in helping educators. …

March 9, 2007

Mr. Media Interviews Mr. NewsU

Bob Andelman, also known as Mr. Media, does lots of interviews — celebrities from film, TV, books, music, and more. I was one of those “more” interviews. He did a podcast interview as Poynter News University was starting to gain…

March 14, 2007

Editors Told Big Changes Needed. Did They Listen?

Even though it was 2007, I was still making speeches to editors [and publishers] about the need to embrace change and transform the newspaper business. One such plea for change was made at a Texas Associated Press Managing Editors convention…

March 12, 2009

Poynter NewsU Registers 100,000 Users. First Big Milestone

When I wrote the original grant request to the Knight Foundation to create an e-learning program at The Poynter Institute, I put in estimate about how many people would take courses. It was one of my greatest lapses in predicting…

June 4, 2012

Future of Journnalism Education Speech

The future of journalism education was the topic of my speech at EJC's 20th Anniversary celebration in Maastricht, Netherlands.…

April 20, 2014

Journalism Should Give Voice to the Voiceless

As part of the development of The Poynter Institute’s international strategy, I traveled to Istanbul with colleague and friend Vicki Krueger. We launched Poynter NewsU Turkiye at a news conference. At that event was our partner, the Media Association, and…

November 19, 2014

Constant Training: New Normal or Missed Opportunity

As part of the grant to The Poynter Institute for the creation and running of News University, an online training program, the Knight Foundation asked that we conduct studies as to how effective training was and better understand the training…

January 16, 2015

Poynter Interactive Learning Intern Named “Finberg Fellowship”

The Poynter Institute has named the interactive learning internship at News University the “Finberg Fellowship.” The honor, along with my retirement, was announced on January 16, 2015. I retired from Poynter at the end of 2014 after 12 years at…